Darkness Comes Before the Dawn
by tonsostuff
Summary: Everything went wrong in the battle. What should've been a victory is a terrifying defeat. Now the demigods, both Roman and Greek, are on the run. Finally, a quest is issued to find the four missing demigods of the Great Prophecy, including Percy. It is a quest that is destined to go wrong. They say that darkness comes before the dawn. That's assuming you survive the dark.
1. Sundown

Author's Note:

So, this is a continuation of _Drowning_, though it is, in a way, a stand alone piece of work. You can read _Drowning_ first (recommended) or you can just read directly. Both should work.

This story takes place a little after _Drowning_, though you'll have to wait a few chapters to learn Percy's fate. Keep in mind that when everyone on the Argo II arrived at Camp Jupiter, it was in shambles after the battle and that many of the people are missing.

Anyways, since this is my first full length chapter story for Percy Jackson. Please enjoy and review to tell me how I went.

Point of views will vary. This first chapter is completely from Annabeth's point of view, though I can't promise you that each chapter will be from one demigod's POV.

* * *

She brushed her grimy blond hair back with her hand. It hadn't been washed in days, maybe weeks now, but that was honestly the least of her worries.

In her hand, she clutched a dagger. It was her last remnant of her friend, who had died last year during the last major battle. She crept closer and closer. Ahead of her, a monster was speaking in low tones into something she couldn't quite make out.

"Told you, the half-bloods are nearby!" The monster's voice raised a few notches. She stiffened, her fingers gripping the dagger so tightly that they began to turn white. "Yes, yes, I know that we have all the bait we need to get them to come out, but still!"

_Bait_.

It had to be him.

"Whatever," the monster grumbled.

In a flash, she was on the monster's back, her dagger pressed against its throat. The monster made a choking sound, then became soothing. "Now, now, Annabeth, let's calm down, shall we?"

"That doesn't work on me," Annabeth said dangerously. The Cyclops seemed to make a whimper. "Tell me who you were calling!"

"Just your mother, Annabeth dear," the Cyclops replied in her father's voice.

"Five seconds," Annabeth warned, "before I slice you."

The Cyclops gulped. _Just a little more..._ Annabeth thought.

Then suddenly, Annabeth was thrown from the Cyclops' back. The Cyclops roared in delight. "Thought you could get the best of me, didn't you?" He pinned one of Annabeth's hands to the ground, causing her to gasp in pain. "Care to join me for supper, Wise Girl?" The Cyclops smirked and Annabeth's eyes widened and narrowed. She swallowed. How she missed his voice...no, she couldn't let herself get distracted. She had to stop.

Annabeth's free arm swung upwards. The Cyclops' eyes widened as the dagger drove itself deep into him. He staggered back in pain but did not disintegrate. Annabeth whipped out her cap and disappeared.

The Cyclops yanked the dagger out of his shoulder and threw it on the ground. He glanced around wildly. "Half-blood, show yourself!" he shouted. His voice echoed around him. Cursing in Greek, the Cyclops turned around when the dagger pierced his hide again. He didn't even manage to utter a sound before he exploded into ashes.

Annabeth's cap fell off and she ran over to the ashes which were already being blown away by the wind. "No," she muttered, "no, no, no." She grabbed at them a little desperately, but the ash slipped out of her fingers and into the air.

She looked at the sky, her gray eyes violently flashing. "Tell me where he is!" she yelled. "Just tell me!" Annabeth searched frantically for the device that the monster had been speaking into, but it had mysteriously disappeared.

"Just tell me where he is," she murmured, sobbing. "Just tell me."

Around her, rain began to fall.

* * *

An hour later, she entered the room. The clinking of metal and low murmurs immediately stopped.

A teenage boy stood up. "Annabeth," he began.

"Just be quiet Leo," she muttered. Leo nodded and seemed to shrink a little. Annabeth felt a wave of pity for the guy, though it soon dissipated. After the Argo II had been completed, Leo had basically been pushed to the side. The guy was good with mechanics, but when it came to war, he was just another one of the demigods who were building traps behind the scenes.

For a moment, Annabeth was lost in her thoughts. Leo bravely interrupted them.

"Annabeth, the lead..."

"Gone," she spat. Annabeth was surprised at the bitterness in her voice, though Leo seemed to expect it. The boy shifted uncomfortably and fell back.

The room was silent, almost as if waiting for Annabeth to say something. Annabeth opened her mouth when the door burst open.

A boy stood in the doorway, his blue eyes glaring at Annabeth. His blond hair was matted and had turned darker than before. He was wearing a torn purple t-shirt which was so tattered that it was literally falling off him. He didn't seem to notice, nor to care.

"Jason." Annabeth could barely conceal the contempt in her voice. In truth, she found Jason to be a perfectly good person, but he had been what she had gotten in exchange for Percy. She wasn't happy with it.

"Annabeth," Jason muttered under his breath.

"So...what news do you bring?" Annabeth asked, staring the 15-year old in the face. Jason replicated her cold stare and shot it back at her.

"I can't find her," he said grimly. "I told you, if you only let me..."

"And I told you," Annabeth replied coldly, "that she simply can't."

"Why not?" Jason burst out. "We both know Rachel is perfectly capable of issuing prophecies! I _need_ to find Piper! She's missing!"

The other demigods in the room shifted uncomfortably. They had obviously heard this argument numerous times before.

Annabeth's eyes flashed in anger. "We've got more than one missing demigod. Piper is not the only one of importance. I can't have Rachel issue prophecies for every single demigod that has disappeared. You're needed here. You can't keep searching for her like this." There was a reason, a very good reason why Rachel could not issue prophecies. A reason she'd kept secret from the others. If Annabeth got her way, she would keep it that way.

"You're a hypocrite! You're still searching for Percy, aren't you?" Jason's voice was a fraction below a yell.

Annabeth's gaze became icier than before. There were murmurs from the other demigods and Jason realized his mistake.

"Annabeth...I'm sorry...I didn't...didn't mean..."

"Enough," Annabeth snarled. Her hand had subconsciously moved towards the place where her dagger was concealed and she removed her hand from it reluctantly.

Jason seemed to be relieved. Considering the fact that Annabeth had yet to lose to Jason (32 wins and two ties were pretty good statistics), it was probably expected.

Annabeth began to pace the room and the other demigods watched. Most were from Camp Half-Blood, though there were a few from Camp Jupiter. When Annabeth had arrived with Jason, Piper, and Leo on the Argo II, the camp had basically been in ruins. A few demigods had been alive. Many more had been dead. Even more were missing. Including Per...

Annabeth shook the thought off. " need..." She faltered for a moment. There had been little to no contact with the gods and to be honest, Annabeth didn't know how to search. She didn't know where to go.

"We need a prophecy." A blond pushed his way through the crowd. His blue eyes scanned the crowd. "I'm telling you, we need one. I...can do it." His voice was unsteady and he seemed unsure. The other demigods looked at him with distaste and he shrank a little.

Annabeth looked at Octavian. She felt a brief wave of pity at the former augur. Stripped of his title and facing monsters left and right in their attempt to get to safety, Octavian had proven that he could be a decent person. He'd defended them at the back and almost died from an encounter with a dracanae. Despite this, he was often treated with contempt for his former actions.

"I'm sorry, Octavian," Annabeth said quietly. "I don't think-"

The door burst open and a girl with frizzy red hair walked in. Her white t-shirt was splattered with colors and writings in ancient Greek. Her jeans were tattered and cuts and scratches were all over her arms. A band-aid was on her cheek and her green eyes swept across the room in an unnerving manner that felt as if she could see past everything.

"Hi," Rachel said. "Nice seeing you all again."

* * *

It only took a moment for Rachel to explain her story. She had been at a beach during winter break when monsters had attacked her. After fending them off briefly, Rachel realized that she needed to get back to Camp Half-Blood.

"Did you use a hairbrush this time?" Annabeth smiled weakly. Rachel gave a half grin. "Frying pans seem to be more effective." There was a mild chuckle from a few of the demigods, but they were silenced quickly.

"There's something I'd like to talk to you about," Rachel said quietly so that the other demigods could not hear. Her tone was light, but it shadowed something deeper. Annabeth nodded and turned to the others.

"Malco..." she faltered slightly. Her half-brother had died in the attack on Camp Half-Blood which had followed the one on Camp Jupiter. Her second-in-command was gone. The thought made her feel weaker, but she shook it off.

"Jason," she decided. The boy looked up with a surprised look. Evidently, he did not expect Annabeth to trust him so easily after his outburst. "Take care of everyone. Send out more scouts around the city and near the camps to see if there are any half-bloods out there. And..."

Annabeth looked towards Rachel desperately for suggestions. There was little they could do. But the redhead's face remained impassive, impossible to read. Her gaze wasn't on Annabeth. Instead, she stared past everyone, looking at one of the windows in the hall. The look was almost calculating, and that, for some reason, scared Annabeth.

She cleared her throat. "Er, yes. Send out more scouts, more lookouts. Judging from today, Gaea's army knows we're around the area. I need everyone to be able to move out as quickly as possible if necessary. Got it?"

There was a murmur of consent and the demigods dispersed. Jason began shouting orders and the demigods moved swiftly to where he directed them. Annabeth couldn't help feel a wave of pride for the kid...he was such a natural leader.

She felt someone put a hand on her shoulder and saw it was Rachel. The redhead still had a solemn look on her face as she squeezed Annabeth's shoulder. "Come with me," she said quietly. "We don't have much time."

* * *

The two entered a private room. Annabeth surveyed it quickly, but came up blank. When the half-bloods had fled camp, they had needed to get somewhere that could house a great deal of people discreetly. They had around 70 campers, 50 from Camp Half-Blood and 20 from Camp Jupiter. Eventually, Annabeth had chosen this place as their main headquarters. It was an old apartment in the middle of nowhere that had been abandoned at least ten years ago. It had been in bad shape when they first arrived, but was much better now. They'd originally settled in a hotel, but that had raised too many questions in the mortal world.

Most prayers went unanswered these days. Annabeth knew that some of the demigods were beginning to doubt their parents, that they were beginning to feel abandoned. It worried Annabeth. That was how the second Titan War had started. She could only pray that this would not cause turmoil between the demigods themselves. They had more than enough to worry about.

Annabeth fidgeted on a worn gray couch as Rachel paced the room. Finally, Rachel looked up and stared at Annabeth. "You were wondering why I was gone so long without contact." It wasn't a question.

Annabeth nodded and Rachel looked towards the ceiling. "What I told you in the meeting room wasn't everything," she said. Annabeth hadn't thought anything different. "I've been having nightmares and dreams and visions. Worse than usual." She hesitated. "Sometimes, I wonder if I'm going crazy, if the Oracle is...is not functioning properly."

Rachel stopped and leaned against a bookcase, her arms folded around her chest. She heaved a sigh and looked out the windows of the apartment. "I had one. Just one in particular. That was when..." Rachel winced, "the monsters started coming at me. I knew something was wrong but I couldn't leave before then. But that forced me to."

Rachel took a deep breath and for the first time since they had entered the room, she looked at Annabeth. "I had a dream about Percy."

She reached over and put a finger on Annabeth's forehead and suddenly, she was spiraling, spiraling into a memory.

* * *

_A large serpent-like creature swam by. It hissed and its scales flashed. The edges of its fins were knife-sharp. There was a cry. The creature ignored it and swam off._

_A figure with long dark hair chained by one leg to a coral reef was surrounded by blood. It seeped out of his skin. He did not make a sound but he was curled up in a fetal position. From a distance, something rumbled._

"_Serpentisus," a voice boomed. A large figure appeared, a smirk on his face. "An old creature, a very old sea monster. Agonizing, isn't it?"_

_Polybotes, the giant, came closer. The boy weakly lifted his head as a giant hand slammed into him, sending him into a patch of coral. The boy cried as he hit the coral, which cut him. The giant smiled appreciatively. "Fire coral. Very nice. Fire and water, though this time, it appears that fire won."_

_The son of Poseidon weakly lifted his head. The cuts on him were not healing, not as they should be. A jagged scar ran down his arm and his face._

_Polybotes laughed. "Look at the son of Poseidon now in his glory! All hail the mighty sea god!" His laughter shook the entire reef._

"_You made it to 100," Polybotes said with an almost maniacal grin. "Congratulations. I thought you'd give in several times on the road. But you did not disappoint! So, to congratulate you, I'll give you a present! You do remember who your father is, don't you?"_

_The boy made no sound and Polybotes picked him up easily. "You remember who your father is, don't you?" He shook the boy, who opened his mouth in a silent scream._

"_Now, we can't have that!" Polybotes grinned wickedly. "Who is your father, boy?"_

"_Poseidon." The word could barely be heard through the bloodied lips, but it was there._

"_Good." Polybotes appeared to be satisfied. "Now, let's go meet Daddy, shall we?"_

* * *

The memory ended and Annabeth flinched as she tossed her head back up. Rachel withdrew her finger from Annabeth's forehead. It was only then that Annabeth realized she had been shaking.

"No," Annabeth murmured. "No, no, no." She looked at Rachel desperately. "When was this?"

"Two weeks ago," Rachel said quietly.

"114 days," Annabeth said to herself, her head in her hands. "114 days of endless torture." Her head shot up. "Poseidon," she whispered. "He was going to see Poseidon." She glanced at Rachel wildly. "He survived, didn't he? He had to. He had to."

Rachel looked away. "I don't know, Annabeth," she said quietly. "I'm guessing he doesn't have Achilles' Curse anymore, judging by the dream alone. And..." she hesitated. "Percy, in that condition, would not be fit to fight. Poseidon would try to avoid harming his son, which means it would be nearly impossible to attack Polybotes. And...even if he did choose to sacrifice Percy, he would never be able to defeat Polybotes without a hero..." she trailed off.

Annabeth began to cry. She hadn't shed a single tear since Camp Jupiter, knowing that she had to stay strong, if not for herself, then for her team. But after what Rachel had showed her...the tears flowed like a river.

"I'm sorry," Rachel whispered. "I'm sorry."

It was ten minutes before Annabeth looked up again. The tears were gone, though her eyes were still red. "That can't be all though," Annabeth murmured, her voice cracked. She stared blankly at the wall behind Rachel, avoiding the girl's eyes. "There has to be something...something else."

"Yes," Rachel said quietly. "I know you've been holding it off, partially because I wasn't here, partially because you've been so busy just trying to keep the other half-bloods alive, but...I think it's time.

"We need a prophecy, Annabeth. It's the only thing we can do now. We need a prophecy."

* * *

"What about the Great Prophecy?"

Rachel hesitated. "It will take place," she decided. "But we need one right now. A smaller one. One that holds clearer answers for us."

"Seven half-bloods will answer the call, to storm or fire, the world must fall, an oath to keep with a final breath, and foes bear arms to the Doors of Death," Annabeth breathed. "Last year...when Jason arrived, you said it was happening."

"Yes, I did," Rachel murmured. "We know of six of the seven. However..."

"Percy, Piper, Frank, and Hazel are all missing,"* Annabeth finished. "We need to find the seventh. And we need to find _them_."

"A quest," Rachel said quietly. "A quest." She sat down on the couch and Annabeth stood up and stood in front of her.

Rachel's mouth opened and mist creeped out of it. She spoke in an eerie voice, one that sent shivers up Annabeth's spine. Even after seeing her friend do this frequently, it still spooked her a little.

_The truth is entangled within the despair_

_Knowledge of which has vanished in air_

_To be found are four, to be caught are three_

_To be drowned is he beneath the sea_

_The world will clash, the storm will brew_

_The end may soon be unto you_

Rachel shook her head slightly. "I don't remember it," she said quietly. "Do you want to tell me?"

In a shaky voice, Annabeth repeated the words that Rachel had just uttered. "To be drowned," she said to herself. "To be drowned. Four found, three caught, truth within despair, the world clashing, the end coming...gods...Rachel...that's worse than...than just about any prophecy I've heard about. There's nothing hopeful. At all."

"No, there is. _To be found are _four. He must be still alive, Annabeth." Rachel's words did little to sooth Annabeth.

"Gods, Rachel...what if...what if when he's found...he's..." She choked slightly and Rachel gave her a one-armed hug.

"Prophecies are always double-sided, Annabeth. Don't give up. Not yet."

Gently, Rachel stood Annabeth up until she gained enough control over herself to gather her thoughts. The two headed to the conference room where most of the demigods had conferred.

Rachel pushed open the door and Annabeth instinctively checked that her dagger was still in its sheath. Everyone looked towards her.

"We have a prophecy." Annabeth's voice was quiet but in the silent room, it carried to everyone. "We have a prophecy."

Her gray eyes swept over the room as each demigod held their breath, anticipating what she had to say. "I will take Jason and Leo. We will leave in two hours. Jay," she nodded at her half-sister, a petite blonde with a fierce attitude, "and Anthony," she nodded at the boy from the Hepheastus cabin, "will be in charge while we're gone." The two demigods in question nodded.

"Get moving," Annabeth said, her voice a little stronger, a little louder. "I want to meet with Jay and Anthony and run them through emergency procedures before we leave. I need everyone, and I mean everyone, to cooperate and be able to move at short notice."

Everyone nodded and Jay and Anthony began to take charge. Anthony seemed a little awkward in a position of power, but Annabeth felt that he could do it.

A firm hand grasped her shoulder and she looked behind her to see Jason, looking determined. "Plans?" he said quietly.

Annabeth nodded. She was a daughter of Athena. She always had a plan. "Plans," she repeated.

* * *

Two hours later, they were ready to go.

Annabeth had not told Jason or Leo the full wording of the prophecy. They had both pressed her about it, but she had only mentioned that it was a prophecy that told them they were to search for the four demigods of the prophecy: Percy, Piper, Hazel, and Frank. She also mentioned that they might get a chance to see if the seventh demigod of the prophecy could be found.

The trio made their way cautiously out of the hotel, the guards nodding at them as they made their way out into the open. Annabeth felt a sharp sting for a moment. Ever since she was twelve when Percy first came, it had always been her, Percy, and Grover. Now, with two of her best friends missing in action, she felt a hollow clang inside. She brushed it off as Jason scouted around them.

"Nothing much," Jason muttered. He turned towards Annabeth. "We're heading south, right?"

"Yeah," Annabeth replied. A backpack was slung over her shoulder with supplies for the journey. "Frank, Hazel, and Percy were all last seen around Camp Jupiter. And..." she shifted slightly. Truth be told, she had no idea where Piper was and Annabeth knew that Piper was the one that Jason cared about the most.

Jason looked away. "Yes. We're heading west first. Alright."

Leo glanced at Annabeth. "Are you sure we should've moved out so early?" he asked, scratching his head in worry. "We have zero transportation. We have nearly zero idea where we're going. And you haven't even told us the specifics of the prophecy. Jason and I are like, totally in the dark on this one." He shrugged. "I mean, yeah, none of us really had any clue what we were doing or where we were going on the other quest, but this is kinda..."

"Insane," Jason finished. He glanced at Annabeth. "But I think that as members of this quest, we deserve to know a little more about the prophecy we're following."

Annabeth took a shaky breath. Briefly, she thought back to the quest she had had to go into the Labyrinth, the first, and until now, only quest she had led. She had been unwilling to speak of the prophecy either. Looking back, she wished she was following that prophecy as opposed to this one. It would've been easier.

She stared at Jason and for a moment, thought she saw Percy standing in his place. Percy wouldn't pressure her into telling him the prophecy—he would've understood why she wouldn't have wanted to tell him.

"Later," she said quietly. "Not now." She shifted the cream-colored backpack on her shoulder. "We need to get moving."

Jason lifted his hands. "I can use my powers to send us there."

Annabeth shook her head. "Don't. If you do it now, you might not have the ability or the strength to do it when we really need it." She hesitated before looking around. "Leo...refresh my memory. What happened to the Argo II after we reached Camp Jupiter?"

"Oh!" Leo's face lit up for a moment, glad that he could contribute, before falling again. "Oh. Annabeth, the Argo II...it crashed when we fled Camp Half-Blood. I don't know where it was or how we could get back to it...we abandoned it somewhere..."

Annabeth sighed. She remembered the crash all too well. "We're in Kansas and we need to get back to Camp Jupiter. We need a train...or a car...or a taxi. Just something."

For a moment, Annabeth desperately looked around for Chiron. He'd been the fatherly figure in a good deal of her life, and he'd always been there on her quests, advising her. This time though, she felt an ache as she remembered that Chiron had also been lost in the Battle of Camp Half-Blood.

Jason opened his mouth as if to say something, but Leo cut in, which surprised Annabeth. "I might have a solution," Leo murmured. "A back-project I was working on since, well, I didn't have too much to work on. That is, if you don't..." He trailed off a bit and Annabeth could tell that Leo was, in a way, waiting for her approval.

"Show us," Annabeth said, a little hope creeping into her voice. "It might be our ticket out."

* * *

*Special Notes*

The reason Annabeth would know that Frank and Hazel are likely two of the demigods mentioned in the Second Great Prophecy is due to information given to her by the Roman demigods who survived the battle. Rachel only mentioned one of her dreams, the one about Percy. It may be that she has already had dreams/signs/visions about Frank and Hazel.

Author's Note:

So...love it? Hate it? It was a little difficult to coordinate as there are a lot of characters and I'm trying to sort out which ones I want to be "lost" and which ones are still in the group. I think I'm doing okay so far, though I'd be glad if you could drop me a little note in a review.

Another note. I know this sounds a lot like Jiper so far, but note that Jason hasn't met Reyna yet. As of yet, I'm still unsure if I should make this Jeyna or Jiper. I personally like Reyna as a character (and Jeyna as a pairing) a little more, but then I'd kinda feel sorry for Piper. Drop me a note on that as well.

As for using what I kind of dub the "Unholy Trio," Jason, Leo, and Annabeth, I thought it would be interesting. We have Jason, who's a natural leader going head to head with Annabeth, another fierce leader. They both have people they care about who are missing and are constantly arguing (hopefully it's in character for them). Meanwhile, we have Leo, who's kinda been pushed to side (which I hope can be seen by his more withdrawn responses) and kind of stuck in the middle. He still feels a little pang of jealousy, that in a way, no matter what he does, he will never be quite as good as everyone else.

Octavian...he's changed during the war, which I hope you can see. You'll see in later chapter that a lot of the characters have changed.

Drop me a note! And go vote in the poll on which pairing should be used in the end, Jiper or Jeyna.


	2. Last Light

Author's Note:

I'm so sorry for going MIA for so long! I could give a whole lot of reasons, but truth is, I'm lazy (and a big time procrastinator) and I did struggle a little with how I wanted this chapter to turn out. I didn't really get into it until I was on the 6th page or so at midnight one night and...yeah, you don't need to know that. I'm going to be trying to update every week, but no promises.

Thank you all for the reviews! Remember, if possible, to vote on Jason/Reyna or Jason/Piper if you have the time. The poll is on my page. Jasper seems to be the preferred option at the moment, though since the pairing won't appear for a while, you still have time to vote!

Because all of you (or most of you) are really interested in knowing what's happened to some of your favorite characters, I've included a little surprise for you at the end of this chapter. I won't tell you who it is, you'll have to guess.

* * *

He hated quests.

Quests were always three. And with three, there was always the third. And with the third, there was always one left out.

Of course, he was always the one left out. The backup. The engine. The little part that's kinda crucial to success that you never pay attention to.

That's what Leo felt when Annabeth picked him for the quest. He wanted to scream, _No, not me! Look at everyone else! They're so much...so much..._

Better. Everyone was better. The word was distasteful on Leo's lips, though he suppressed them every day. Those left in the Hephaestus cabin were stronger, better builders. Those in the Athena cabin were better planners, better fighters. Those in the Ares cabin were stronger, sometimes reckless, but they fit. Piper was beautiful, could charmspeak, and confident. Jason was strong, an amazingly talented fighter, and had control over the winds.

What did he have? A fire he was afraid of, because he knew it might run away from him. And the legacy of a broken warship and a destroyed dragon.

Okay, okay, so he was biased. He'd been on one quest. Just one. But he'd always felt...left behind. Jason and Piper. Jason and Piper. Always, always, Jason and Piper. The perfect power couple after Percy and Annabeth.

_Quit thinking this way_, Leo told himself. _Just...just stop. You're fine. You're not great, but it doesn't mean you're..._

_Inferior? Oh yes, I am. I am inferior to everyone. Can't you tell?_

_Just shut up! And stop talking to me! Stop...wait. Gah. This...doesn't feel..._

"Leo?" Leo blinked as he saw Annabeth peering at him. Her hair was messy and her steely gray eyes seemed to pierce him. "Are you alright?"

_She's just asking that out of habit. Like anyone would care if you're alright._

Leo poked his head, then noticed that by doing so, he made himself seem even crazier. Annabeth's eyes narrowed. The feeling made Leo feel extraordinarily uncomfortable, as if he was being surveyed by a machine from the future. "Er...yes, of course," Leo replied.

Annabeth didn't seem satisfied but she nodded anyways. "You stopped. We're still heading towards your...project, right?"

Leo nodded fiercely. "Yes, er, this way."

Ever since Argo II had crashed, Leo had been pushed out of the way. He still cracked jokes. Still was sarcastic. Still was annoying. But it had dimmed. He was just background. Everyone was always rushing around, ignoring him. He was just another one of the kids who rigged traps just inside the magical barrier that the Hecate kids had put up as a defense. Annabeth was too busy, trying to find Percy and keep them alive, and Jason was always going on solo missions against Annabeth's words to find Piper. Leo felt like he wasn't a part of...a part of whatever it was.

_As always_.

"Shut up," Leo murmured. Annabeth and Jason both looked at him oddly. "Nothing!" Leo said quickly. "Nothing at all. Just, ah, talking to myself."

Annabeth glanced at him suspiciously and Jason's gaze seemed a little worried, but Leo continued walking, avoiding their looks.

Finally, Leo stopped. "We're here." Leo's voice cracked slightly and he cleared his throat. "We're here," he said once more, hoping he sounded just a tad bit more confident.

"I don't see anything," Annabeth murmured as she took a step forwards. "All there is here is a bunch of trees...and grass...and leaves...and..."

"Don't step there!" Leo cried, but Annabeth's foot sank through the ground and disappeared. She shrieked as she went under. Jason gripped his sword in his hand (how he'd gotten to it so quickly, Leo had no idea) and dove towards the place Annabeth had entered.

"Leo!" Jason yelled. "Don't just stand there! It must be a tra..."

"Tarp," a voice corrected. "Stupid tarp."

An arm appeared on the edge and Annabeth hoisted herself up so they could just about see her face. Her blond hair held bits of dust and rock in it, though she looked pretty much the same. "Leo..." she muttered threateningly under her breath.

Leo blinked and took a breath, not knowing before then that he had been holding his breath. "Um...sorry?"

Annabeth shook her head, still a little annoyed, but seemingly too tired to deal with her emotions. "So, care to explain why such a well hidden tarp is located in the middle of the forest about half a mile away from where we're hiding out?"

Leo rubbed his hands nervously. "You see...I had to keep my...er, experiment somewhere, and this was the closest place I could find."

Jason sighed and put his sword away. "At least tell us something before we launch into attack mode. Annabeth, are you ever going to come up?"

"Not until you two start coming down," she said matter-of-factly. "I think I have an idea what Leo's 'experiment' is, and the only way either of you are going to use it is if you come on down."

* * *

"So...this is your idea?"

Jason's doubtful tone made Leo feel almost angry. "Got a problem?" he asked defensively. "It's the best thing we've got right now."

The other boy turned, a little surprised. "Whoa, Leo, what's with the attitude?"

Leo resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Like Jason wasn't one of those people who were high and mighty and the perfect hero in all of those books.*

"Nothing," he said instead. Grabbing the edge of the tarp that hadn't been covered, Leo flung it away. Leaves and branches flew off and Annabeth, who was down at the bottom of a large hole revealed by the tarp, shielded herself with her arm.

"Sorry," Leo muttered. He looked at Jason, who still looked wary. "Coming? Or are you going to stand there all day?"

Not waiting for an answer, Leo jumped and slid down the dirt slope, landing next to Annabeth. The daughter of Athena scouted the area.

"Not bad," she murmured, which was probably the most praise that Leo was ever going to get from her. "This just might work. We'll keep off the ground and we won't have to use Jason's wind powers."

Behind them, Jason tumbled down the slope, cursing slightly as he stood up. "So..."

"Pegasuses," Annabeth said. For a moment, her voice seemed to tremble, though later Leo wondered if he had imagined it. "Robotic pegasuses. Not my first option, but definitely the only one we can really rely on at this point." She glanced at Leo. "You sure they work?"

Leo blinked, but he looked into Annabeth's eyes steadily. "Yeah, they do."

_Ooh...lying now, aren't we? You haven't even tested this batch._

_Shut up! This is our only way!_

_So you're going to put your entire team in danger for a little success?_

_...Are you arguing the good side now?_

_Does it matter?_

Leo shook his head. "Anyways, they work pretty well and need minimum oil." He patted the nose of a pure black pegasus that stood stationary. "They'll respond to danger like any other pegasus and have cameras in their eyes that distinguish what to do. They also respond to voice signals. To activate them...just sit on them or hold their reins. They should work."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Should? But you just said they would."

Leo opened his mouth in an angry retort when Annabeth shoved both of them apart. "What's wrong with you two?" she asked coldly, looking from Jason to Leo. Both of the boys suddenly felt uncomfortable, Leo staring at his shoes and Jason looking at the sky. "Don't you know how important this is? We have to make sure we get this right...or else everything is gone. Pull yourselves together. You two are best friends."

She straightened, an aura of confidence and discipline seemingly radiating from her. "Each of you, get on a pegasus. We don't know if these will work, so Jason, we'll be relying on you as backup, at least to get us safely to the ground if these things crash. Leo, we need you to be there to try to fix these pegasuses if they break down. I'll act as guide. We need to start working together, or we're all going down."

Annabeth grabbed the reins of the pegasus that Leo had patted. Without looking at either of the boys, she stalked past them, mounted her pegasus, and took off into the air.

Jason looked like he wanted to say something, but Leo wasn't in the mood to hear him. Instead, he mounted another pegasus, a creamy palomino, and clucked his tongue twice, taking off after Annabeth.

For some reason, when Leo looked back to see Jason's shocked and somewhat hurt face, he felt good.

* * *

The air blew through Jason's hair and gradually, his irritated thoughts faded. The wind felt good against his skin and while the pegasus below him did not whinny or do really much of anything that a normal pegasus would do, it felt comfortable.

Annabeth was staring off into the distance, as she had been ever since they had taken to air. She wore a brooding, yet somewhat wistful look. Jason knew that, without a doubt, she was thinking of Percy.

He did not look at Leo, who rode behind all of them. Jason stared pointedly ahead, refusing to turn his head and look at the person he used to call his best friend. He didn't know what had gone wrong between the two of them, but ever since they'd started running from Gaea, Leo had changed. At times, he was still like the guy Jason had known since he'd woken up on the bus without his memories, but some times, he was...odd. Angry. Bitter. But at the same time, unsure. Unconfident.

Piper would've called them out on it, just like Annabeth had. He wished that she would, that he'd turn around and she'd be riding on a pegasus, her choppy uneven hair blowing in the wind, a somewhat disapproving smirk on her face. But...

He had to snap out of it.

Jason was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice what was happening until suddenly, it felt like his robot pegasus dropped out from underneath him. Not having enough time to react or use his wind powers, he did the only manly thing left to do.

He screamed.

* * *

"Holy Zeu—Jason!" Leo yelled as his best friend plummeted. His heart pounded. Had his pegasus malfunctioned? He had a feeling it had, and that he was about to let down the entire team again.

Annabeth spun around, her eyes widening. "Leo, behind you!" she shouted.

Leo instinctively ducked and his hands grasped the reins, not a moment too soon. His pegasus took a nosedive and Leo felt his mouth being forced open. "Not coooooooool!" he screamed, grabbing onto the pegasus' neck, fearing for his life.

Leo was sure he was going to die—whether by plummeting to the ground or falling off from fear, he didn't know. But the pegasus' nosedive ended just as abruptly as it had started. Cold sweat trickled down the back of Leo's neck. He put one hand to his chest. "Gods," he murmured, his eyes half closed, "I think I nearly died."

"Yeah, you did." Leo's eyes snapped open to see Jason looking at him. He didn't look well either, and Leo could tell he was still recovering from the nosedive. The look in his eyes seemed uncertain, as if he wasn't sure what to say, or to feel.

"Your pegasuses seem to be good at reacting from what they perceive as danger," Jason murmured. "Unfortunately, they decided that we needed to drop halfway to the ground to get out of it."

"Not always a bad idea," Leo muttered. "At least we're out of range of most things." He glanced around. "Where's Annabeth?"

"She..." Both of the boys looked up.

"Oh Styx."

* * *

Annabeth swung around as she heard Jason scream. She didn't have time to look before something, a dark shape that Annabeth couldn't quite make out, swooped behind Leo.

"Leo, behind you!" she yelled. She watched as the boy dove for the reins and plunged into a nosedive.

She stiffened as she faced what must've been one of the largest animal-like monsters she had ever faced. It was even larger than a hellhound. It's bronze wings spread out like an eagle and an ugly cry erupted from its mouth. It was a mix of an eagle and a horse, with its wings and mouth being an eagle and the rest of its body a dark ebony horse—a hippogriff.

"Gods," Annabeth murmured. She gripped the reins.

_Emergency response_, the pegasus beneath her seemed to say.

"Terminate," Annabeth said aloud. She blinked. The pegasus was silent and did not plunge as Jason and Leo had. Annabeth didn't know what had happened to them and she wasn't sure if she wanted to find out. Luckily, the pegasus appeared to operate by standard rules of thumb and awaited her orders.

"Attack mode," Annabeth grimaced. She had never fought in the air before, and for some reason, Annabeth didn't imagine that the creature would appreciate landing much.

The hippogriff swung a claw at Annabeth and she dodged, whipping her dagger out and driving it into the hippogriff's shoulder. The hippogriff shook her angrily and before Annabeth knew it, she was dangling from her knife, thousands of feet into the air. Frozen in fear, Annabeth couldn't even scream for help.

Instinct kicked in and her ADHD began to take effect. Annabeth scrambled onto the back of the hippogriff. She gripped the shiny feathers and kicked the eagle-horse.

The hippogriff reared and Annabeth thrust her knife into its back to keep herself from falling. A horrifying thought struck her. What if she defeated the monster and fell? There was no one to catch her and nowhere to fall to.

A yell came from below her, though Annabeth couldn't seem to react to it. For some reason, her brain had turned completely to jello and her reaction had slowed. She had no idea what had happened to her pegasus, but it wasn't real and...there was no chance of it saving her.

"Percy."

The one word seemed like the only thing that she could think of. "Gods, Percy..." she muttered. Despite everything that was happening around her, a tear trickled down her cheek. Annabeth was terrified. She couldn't do this. Through everything, absolutely everything she had done since he had walked into camp, it had always been the two of them. Side by side. Retrieving the bolt, saving Grover, maneuvering the Labyrinth, toppling Kronos...he had always been there. There for her to lean on. It was like the wall she had depended on for these years had just crumbled.

Where was he when she needed him?

Too late, Annabeth realized she was falling, and falling, and falling. Her mouth was open, but not in a scream. She watched as the blue sky seemed to grow farther and farther, before finally closing her eyes.

_Percy_.

* * *

"Hey. Annabeth. Wake up."

Annabeth jolted awake. For a moment, she felt she was still falling and flinched. A cool towel was on her forehead and two faces peered into hers, looking anxious. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light. They were in a forest of some sort and leaves crunched as Annabeth moved jerkily to shield her eyes.

Leo wiped his forehead. "Gods, Annabeth, don't do that to us again." He gave a weak smile to Annabeth as he said that, but his hands were clammy and he looked relieved.

The same expression was on Jason's face. "We thought we lost you," the son of Zeus murmured. He looked a little awkward. "You might've twisted your wrist during the fall somehow, but you're lucky that's all it was. That creature..." He trailed off, looking awkward and staring to the side.

Twisted her wrist...that wasn't that bad, compared to being stabbed and holding up the sky. Annabeth winced at the soreness in her wrist, rubbing it gently as she sat up.

"Mind filling me in?" she grunted. Out of the corner of her eye, Annabeth noticed that there were only two pegasuses, Jason's and Leo's. Her heart sank slightly. Despite herself, she had gotten somewhat attached to her robotic pegasus and was disappointed to see that it had not made it back.

Leo rubbed his hands. "Well, um..." he hesitated, then rubbed his head. "You know what, Jason, do you want to explain?"

Jason shook his head. "You can do it. I'm gonna go get some more firewood." He stood up without another word and walked off.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. The two were acting odd...as if something bad had happened. Now that she dwelled on it, she did feel something was off. The problem was, she couldn't pinpoint it.

Leo cleared his throat. "Well, um, the basics are that Jason and I...our horses launched into emergency response mode and took us maybe two hundred or three hundred feet below you. I dunno what creature we were fighting, but you started attacking it and started to ride on it. Your pegasus seemed unsure of what to do, I might not have programmed that into it, so it flew off and probably landed somewhere, though where I'm not sure of. And, um, well, you kinda seemed to freeze on the hippogriff for a moment just as Jason and I were making our way up. He kinda yelled at you though you might not have heard thanks to the wind.

"You started falling and Jason manipulated the winds to catch you as you came down. We landed here about an hour ago and...yeah."

Annabeth could tell there was something he wasn't telling her. She pursed her lips and stood, brushing a few leaves off of herself. "Alright," she said, her voice still tinted with disbelief. "Are you sure that's the whole story?"

Leo nodded eagerly, though his eyes darted back and forth slightly. Luckily for him, Jason chose this moment to come back with a load of firewood. There was a small fireplace that the two must've set up while Annabeth was unconscious. Small stones lined it and Jason placed the sticks in an orderly fashion while Leo and Annabeth watched.

The blonde looked at Leo. "Would you mind?" The son of Hephaestus shook his head and with a snap, lit the fire. The warmth thrust Jason back a little, but Leo remained where he was.

Annabeth took a deep breath, staying back and not joining the boys. Now that she had recovered from her initial shock and gratitude, she had to admit that she was...embarrassed. For so long, she had been a leader. To freeze up and fall like that, not to mention go unconscious...it was a bit of a wake up call.

Something was missing. Annabeth looked around uneasily. It was like piece of a puzzle was gone. A crucial piece. Instinctively, her hand moved towards her sleeve.

Her eyes widened. It wasn't there. She whipped around and ran towards the fire where Leo and Jason were sitting, warming themselves up quietly.

"Where's my dagger?" In the fire, her eyes must've looked almost insane. Annabeth faced Leo, who seemed to shrink slightly. "Did you see it? I don't think I lost grip of it, but it's not here and neither of you seem to have it."

Jason seemed nervous. "Um, well, Annabeth, you see..." he began to explain. He shifted from foot to foot. "We couldn't find it."

The words felt like a hollow pang in Annabeth's chest. She had never been weaponless. Even when she first set off into the world alone, she had always had something to protect her. Now, without her dagger, Annabeth felt vulnerable.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Jason looked away. "I mean, it's probably in the forest somewhere. That's probably how you twisted your wrist. You held onto it while you were falling and it fell out of your hand somewhere. But we don't have time to search for it." He looked at Annabeth, his blue eyes serious. "You know, right?"

Annabeth swallowed. That knife was the last piece of Luke that Annabeth still had and she had clung onto it fiercely ever since he gave it to her and even more so recently. She felt like breaking down again, her emotions welling up, breaking through the walls she had put up to keep them from overflowing. "Yeah," she muttered. "I know."

Later that night, when Leo and Jason were snoring away, Annabeth was a little aways from the two, thinking. She'd lost so much so quickly. It felt like all the walls were crumbling, the ones she'd built to protect herself, the ones that she relied on to keep from falling. They were all turning to dust.

Quietly, Annabeth snuck over next to Leo. A faded tool belt sat next to him as he snored loudly. Annabeth reached in quietly. "Swiss army knife," she murmured, praying it would work.

A few minutes later, Annabeth had a knife and several long sticks in her hand, as well as a few smoother, flatter ones. She began to work the knife, clumsily at first, though she got quicker and sharper as the night bore on. No matter what happened, Annabeth would not be a burden, not to Leo, not to Jason, and certainly not to Percy. He'd saved her before. This time it was her turn to save the stupid Seaweed Brain.

Around midnight, Annabeth remembered that it was Leo's shift. She glance at the boy, then decided not to wake him up. He needed rest. It had been a stressful day for him as well. Instead, she continued to work steadily at her project, ignoring the yawns and thoughts of sleep that plagued her.

By the time it was dawn, Annabeth could barely keep her eyes open. She stumbled over to Jason and Leo, kicked them with her boot, muttered the word, "Shift," and collapsed. She was asleep before either of the boys had realized what she meant.

* * *

_Footsteps pounding._

_Her head hurt._

_Screams. Footsteps pounding._

_Her headache was getting worse by the second. Gods._

_Blood. Screams. Footsteps pounding._

_Faces flashed before her, but they faded before she could remember who they were._

Suddenly, she woke up. Her body was partially covered with leaves and her hand went up to her head. Her hallucination had been bad. But not as bad as it had before.

She brushed her dark hair away from her face. Where was she again? Yes, heading east. That was the only way she would have a chance of finding everyone again.

She picked up her weapons carefully and examined them for any signs of wear. It wouldn't do for them to weaken, especially now. Her senses were heightened more than ever, thanks to training and her natural ADHD. She drank a little water from a nearby spring, ate a few berries from a nearby bush, and began to walk.

An uneasy feeling settled in her stomach. Something was wrong. Something bad was about to happen. Her footsteps quickened.

She had to find a way to stop it.

* * *

*Notes

I've been messing around with the _Big Damn Hero_ trope recently, which you should check out at tvtropes .org. Just make sure you don't spend too long on the website. It's really, really easy to.

Author's Note:

So, who is this mysterious demigod near the end? I assure you, she is canonical, though it is your decision on who she could be.

So, if you bother to read this footnote, I'm going to be making two new Percy Jackson fanfics. One is _Forever Young_, which you'll hopefully see around sometime soon. The other one is an alternate ending of _Darkness Comes Before the Dawn_, meaning you won't be reading it soon. Apologies for that.

Oh! And assuming I finish writing _Darkness Comes Before the Dawn_, there _will_ be a sequel.


	3. Twilight

Author's Note: So, here's your chapter! I decided, I'll be updating every week on either Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, depending on work load and inspiration. I was meaning to publish this yesterday, however something came up unexpectedly, so this is a day late.

Also, happy Olympics! I heard the opening was fantastic (unfortunately I didn't get the chance to see it—I was busy).

Again, I apologize and beg your forgiveness for the tardiness of the previous chapter. I'll try to update every week or so from now on.

A little disappointed in the response of the last chapter, though I suppose I am to blame for not updating for three weeks (and almost a month!). I'm so sorry. Will you stop ignoring me? D: Though, I suppose, I can't blame you. I wasn't satisfied with the last chapter either and I'm not sure if I'm completely happy with this one. Review to tell me what you think!

Since I tend to get mixed up about timelines, I'm going to start each chapter with a basic timeline of some sort. I'm also going to include at least one small part where you can see what's been happening to the missing demigods or the ones I haven't mentioned as of yet.

This is a bit of a filler chapter, unfortunately. At the end though, you'll receive some odd news.

And guess what? For the first time ever, I actually outlined my story. I'll be going back to tweak the first two chapters slightly as well. Anyways, the outline is great and now I really have more motivation to write this. There will be about 15 chapters (including the epilogue).

* * *

His hands were bloodied from beating the walls. His teeth chattered in the cold cavern.

What he'd give for a fire. What he'd give for...for a lot of things.

_Give in._ The voice scared him. It wasn't as tired, as sleepy as it used to be. It was more awake, stronger.

"N...no." He could barely force the single word out of his mouth anymore.

_Then you will forever live in ice,_ the voice said, amused. _You will not die, for you cannot die. The only thing that can save you is also the only thing that will destroy you. You will watch your comrades die, knowing that you were the only one who could save them._

_Enjoy._

* * *

It was 9 o'clock and Annabeth was still out like a light.

Jason couldn't blame her. He felt a little embarrassed. As a Roman, he should be dignified, prompt, strong, never revealing a single weakness. But he had slept past his shift and Annabeth had taken over for both him and Leo until she could barely keep her eyes open anymore.

Annabeth was a worthier Roman than he was.

Jason felt uncomfortable. So much of his life had been about portraying a certain image. He was praetor, or at least had been, and that meant responsibility. He was the son of Jupiter, or Zeus, and that meant he had to remain dignified everywhere in everything.

To be truthful, he envied Leo in that respect. No or little responsibility. The ability to be himself without having to worry about, anything really. Leo could do just about anything and it would be okay. It would be forgotten with time, or occasionally reminisced as a joke. But if Jason did the same thing...it would haunt him. Forever.

Leo was tending the fire, humming something that Jason couldn't make out. Jason sighed. He supposed it was his duty to wake Annabeth.

He shook her gently. The blonde rolled over, groaning as she sat up and looked around blearily. "Oh...Jason..." she murmured. No excitement or annoyance, just...blankness.

"It's 9," Jason said. "We should be going."

Annabeth stood up, regaining her composure. For a moment, she reached for her arm in a habit that Jason realized was to check for her knife. For some reason, he was suddenly struck with guilt. Maybe if he had been a little better with his powers he could've manipulated the winds to catch Annabeth's knife as well.

The daughter of Athena seemed to notice his gaze. "Oh, don't mind my knife," she said quietly. "I found a way to make a temporary weapon. I don't have any celestial bronze or, uh, Imperial gold, so I just made mortal weapons. They'll just have to work."

Jason bit his lip. He saw several problems with that (if it came to a monster attack, Annabeth would have a difficult time coping, and could mortal weapons even hit monsters?), but he decided not to mention it. If he knew Annabeth, she had probably considered all of that already.

The girl slung a somewhat clumsily made bow. A few makeshift arrows stuck out of Annabeth's backpack and a Yankee cap poked out of her pocket. Jason also thought he saw Annabeth slip away something that looked suspiciously like a pocketknife. Surprise overwhelmed him. She'd made all of that in one night?

Annabeth caught his gaze and seemed to read into it. "Oh, please," she said, one hand on her backpack. "I'm the daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom and war. I've studied archery and construction of bows. Athena always has a plan...and so do I." She gave him a smile, which made Jason think longingly of Piper, despite the fact that he was convinced it was fake.

"We should get going," Annabeth murmured. "Where'd Leo go?" Jason turned. His friend was no longer sitting at the fire as he was just moments before. Jason was about to call for his friend when there was a rustling in the bushes and Leo came out, leading three pegasi.

"I'm here," Leo said, a small smile on his face. He handed Jason his pegasus, which the son of Zeus took grudgingly. "Annabeth, I couldn't find your pegasus, so I got a new one for you." He handed her another pegasus, this one a grayish-silver.

"Communication device," Leo said in response to Annabeth's quizzical look. He tapped the ear of the pegasus twice and it opened up to a panel of buttons and a small speaker. "All of them have it, along with a GPS. Not sure if it works 100% of the time, but it was worth a try. You'd be surprised by what the cabins leave behind..."

"Alright," Jason interrupted, feeling anxious. "Let's take to the air. Enough time wasted."

He mounted his pegasus and the others followed, though the air was now filled with an odd tension that hadn't been there before. Jason decided to ignore it.

* * *

She still hadn't told them the prophecy yet.

It bothered her in a way. Annabeth had never, ever kept a prophecy secret from her quest companions. At least, not the _whole_ prophecy. And it bothered her immensely. She felt like a cheap, lower than dirt liar. That might've been an exaggeration, but Annabeth felt uncomfortable.

Also, Annabeth had to admit, she was a little peeved by how Jason was taking charge of the quest. This was _her_ quest, given to her by Rachel. Granted, it was mainly because she'd been at the right place at the right time, but after years of living a demigod life, she knew that there were no such things as coincidences. Jason, on the other hand, seemed to be used to being in a position of leadership and didn't seem to be easily taken off from it. He had a commanding air about him that made him both convincing and intimidating. Yet, the way he did it seemed to portray a superior attitude, which Annabeth found displeasing. She preferred how Percy lead, in a way that one always trusted him and in a way that never made Annabeth feel like a tiny soldier in a massive army.

_The truth is entangled within the despair_. Now that she had finally calmed down, Annabeth allowed herself to really consider what the prophecy might be saying. Truth...perhaps it meant disbelief, lies, separation. She glanced at Leo and Jason, who seemed to have been acting tense around each other. That certainly wouldn't take much. Though perhaps it would be something like the god of truth entangled in despair, which could be taken both figuratively and literally. Annabeth frowned. Apollo was technically the god of truth,* but they were on a quest to save four demigods. It seemed unlikely.

_Knowledge of which has vanished in air._ Knowledge of what? Annabeth had always assumed it was truth, but that seemed almost too straightforward.

_To be found are four, to be caught are three_. So, four...that had to be...Hazel Levesque, Frank Zhang, Piper McLean, and...Annabeth swallowed. Percy.

_To be drowned is he beneath the sea._ Percy couldn't drown. But...beneath the sea. He was beneath the ocean, Rachel's vision had confirmed it. But how could he be drowned? There was no chance, no possibility...

_The world will clash, the storm will brew._ That seemed straightforward as well, which scared Annabeth almost more than if it was mysterious and full of riddles. The world clashing meant the world would be at war with itself, which would certainly be disastrous. Storm...that could mean both Zeus and Poseidon. Again, nothing out of the ordinary, but certainly worrying.

_The end may soon be unto you._ Annabeth wondered why this sentence had been included. It was a possibility and spoke nothing of the quest. Except that if they messed up, they could say goodbye to the world.

Annabeth gritted her teeth. She would not fail. They could not fail.

* * *

Leo really hated goddesses.

Like, seriously. He hated goddesses.

He had been paranoid after meeting Khione. And it had only gotten worse with Hera. Or Juno, as Jason liked to call her. She was creepy.

This one was no different.

She'd appeared out of nowhere and suddenly, the pegasi that Leo had put so much effort into completely stopped. Like, stopped. They stopped moving and turned off.

Annabeth, who had been thinking about something again (Leo still didn't understand _how_ she could spend that much time just thinking, it irked Leo to no avail), almost fell off her pegasus. She grabbed the pegasus around the neck and looked up.

Gosh. Leo's mouth fell open. This goddess looked amazing. However, that simply heightened his suspicions. Khione had looked absolutely _gorgeous_ as well. This goddess was dressed in a simple toga. Her black hair was in a loose ponytail and her posture gave her an almost welcoming feeling. Around her waist was a black belt of some sort. She seemed to shimmer slightly as she took a step (if you could walk on clouds and air) towards them.

"Hello, demigods," the woman smiled. She floated in the air effortlessly, giving them all a smile. Somehow, the pegasi stayed afloat. Whether this was Jason's power over the wind or the goddess, Leo didn't know. Right now he didn't really care.

Jason blinked. "You..." He frowned. "No, I haven't seen you. At least I don't think so." He seemed extremely...disturbed by this goddess for some reason.

The goddess smiled. "I wouldn't think so, Jason Grace." She gave a small nod to Annabeth and a warm smile to Leo.

Leo felt like his heart just completely melted. He opened his mouth and shut it. No point in looking like a fool.

Annabeth stiffened next to him. "Who are you?" she asked. "What do you want?" Her voice, usually clear with authority, seemed to waver.

"My name is Hemera," she pronounced clearly, her smile still evident. "I am the Greek goddess of daylight, daughter of Nyx and Erebos. I came before the gods, the Titans, and even Gaia herself."

She turned towards Annabeth, her head tilted slightly. "Child, you do not know me, for I am never mentioned in myths and viewed only as a minor goddess. However, I am the one who shines light on you and guides you in your paths. I am the one who drives away fear."

"That doesn't answer my question." Annabeth's tone grew even more doubtful. Leo felt almost peeved. Why was she still asking? There was a freaking goddess next to them!

Hemera simply smiled. "No, child, it doesn't. I simply wish to help you in your journey." She waved her hand and suddenly, the pegasi' wings lit up with a soft glow. "These will help you to find your way. They are not as strong in the dark, which my mother, Nyx, rules but they will guide you."

"Why?" Annabeth's voice was little above a quiver now and Jason seemed almost frozen.

"If you do not succeed..." Hemera's face darkened slightly. "I fear what may happen to the gods."

She gave Leo a final, sweet smile, before she disappeared.

Jason shook himself. "Gods," he murmured. "What was that?"

"We were just visited by a freaking goddess and you froze up?" Leo questioned. Jason blinked. "I..."

The pegasi were moving again, though Leo thought that they were moving faster than before. He grinned. "She gave us her blessing to help speed our journey along. Man, Jason, you have to start paying attention to these things!"

Leo turned to Annabeth, who hadn't spoken in a while. "Annabeth?" he asked. "You okay?"

"What? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Annabeth's head snapped up before relaxing when she saw it was only Leo.

"What is wrong with you two?" Leo asked, frustrated. "We all just met a goddess, a decent one this time who gave us a blessing and not a single word! You both are acting like you're paralyzed or something! Like you freaking fell asleep! Don't either of you _care_?"

Leo knew that instant that he had gone too far.

Annabeth's gray eyes flashed at Leo in fury. Jason's eyes seemed to spark with lightning. Annabeth reined in her pegasus, which came to a stop in front of Leo.

"What," Annabeth's voice was colder than ice, "did you say?"

Leo forced himself to swallow. He naturally looked away from Annabeth's stormy eyes, refusing to meet them. "I...I...I didn't...didn't mean..."

"I," Annabeth looked positively frightening now, "don't care what you didn't mean. How could you accuse me of not caring?" She glowered at him, hurt clearly resounding in her voice. Leo wanted to shrink into a ball and disappear.

Leo made the mistake of looking in the other direction, directly at Jason. His stony glare made the air around Leo tense. In the distance, Leo thought he heard the booming of thunder.

To his surprise, Jason did not rebuke him, nor yell at him, nor strike him down. He simply turned.

"Let's keep going," Jason said coldly. He turned away from Leo.

The son of Hephaestus rode behind the others, his head down, not making a single sound.

* * *

_Ding._ As Annabeth pushed open the door, a few wind chimes clinked against each other.

"Hello?" she asked nervously.

Leo and Jason followed behind her, neither looking at each other. The comment that Leo had made had certainly stung both of them, and Annabeth couldn't but help regarding him in a different light. To her, Leo had always been the lighthearted one. But his accusation...

Annabeth shook her head. The smell of waffles and pancakes seemed to overwhelm her and she stepped forward towards it. There was no one else in the shop, though Annabeth simply assumed that it was because it had just opened up for the day.

"Hi!" A brunette, maybe a little younger than Annabeth, approached them. Her hair was tied in a braid with white and pink flowers alternating in it. For a moment, Annabeth's guard went up, though it was quickly brushed away. This girl seemed so happy, so innocent. For a moment, a wave of jealousy washed through her. How she wished she was mortal right now, without a care in the world except for what someone was ordering. How she wished for a life free of worry...

"May I take your order?" the girl asked eagerly. She placed three menus in front of the trio and stood back, a smile on her face.

Jason ordered fried and scrambled eggs on toast with hash browns while Annabeth went with a savory crepe. When the girl asked Leo what he wanted, he simply turned away. A disappointed but unsurprised look seemed to pass through the girl's eyes.

Moments later, the girl brought a heaping plate of food. After eating berries and chips last night, Annabeth thought she would faint from the amazing aroma.

"Gods," Jason murmured as he gulped another large helping of eggs down. "This is _amazing_." A little bit of egg dribbled down his chin, but he didn't seem to notice.

The girl placed a large plate in front of Leo with several slices of french toast and hash browns. Leo looked up for the first time since they sat down, surprised. "I...I...didn't order..."

The girl winked. "No worries," she said, smiling. "Free of charge."

As the brunette placed the final plate in front of Annabeth, she couldn't help feeling that this girl was too nice to be true. Leo began reluctantly picking at his food, then gradually sped up until he was almost eating as fast as Jason.

Annabeth carefully ate a small bite of her crepe. It was delicious. The mixture of tomato and cheese was absolutely perfect and it practically melted in her mouth. Combined with the thin and faintly sweet outer shell of the crepe, it was nearly perfect. Annabeth swallowed. This was really too good to be true.

"Who are you?" Annabeth asked, not quite as harshly as she wanted to. The crepe gave her such a sense of peace that she almost felt like staying there forever.

The brunette cocked her head to the side innocently. "What?" she asked. "Is the food not to your liking?" Her eyebrows furrowed worriedly, as if she was truly concerned that Annabeth's food wasn't good enough.

"No!" Annabeth protested immediately. "It's great!" Annabeth wanted to zip her mouth shut, but the words seemed to tumble out as if being pulled by an invisible string.

"Great!" The girl's smile reappeared. "I'll leave you to it then!"

Annabeth stood up and grabbed the girl by the arm. The guys stopped eating and turned to Annabeth. "What's wrong?" Jason asked, his mouth still half full of hash browns.

"You're not just an ordinary waitress," Annabeth said coldly. The crepe's warmth still remained in her mouth, though it was more of a mere memory now.

An odd smile appeared on the girl's face. "No, I'm not," she said quietly. She snapped her fingers and Annabeth's blonde hair immediately braided itself. White and blue flowers appeared out of nowhere, poking holes in her hair and settling themselves in. On the table, a small blue vase of colorful flowers popped out. Leo leaped back slightly. "Holy–"

Annabeth turned and realization dawned on her face. "You're..."

"Yup," the girl said cheerfully. "Persephone, queen of the Underworld, goddess of springtime, flowers, etc. etc. at your service."

* * *

The answer didn't surprise Annabeth at all, though a question nagged her incessantly.

"But why?" It didn't make sense. Yes, it was springtime and everything, but Persephone had no business in this quest. Not only that. When Percy had told Annabeth about his encounter with Persephone, she seemed to care little for heroes. So what was with the change?

Persephone shrugged. "Everyone has their reasons. You may not understand them, but everyone does. Whether by instinct or by habit, by logic or by feelings. And every living thing—including the gods—have different sides to them. I'm the queen of the Underworld, yes, but I'm also the goddess of springtime and innocence.* Nothing says I can't be both."

Annabeth was speechless. Yes, Persephone was the goddess of innocence, but Annabeth had never seen her like...this. And her fatal flaw had gotten ahold of her again, her pride and in a way, arrogance, to assume that she could understand everything.

"Um...thank you, lady Persephone," Jason said, dipping his head respectfully.

Persephone laughed, though it seemed more of a lighthearted giggle. "I like this one," she said, smiling. "Anyways, you have half an hour before anyone else comes in, so it'd be best if you hurried. Though," she tilted her head slightly to Jason and Leo's empty plates, "it seems you shouldn't have too much of a problem with that."

Leo nodded fervently, "Uh, yes, madam, yes, absolutely." For the first time in a while, Annabeth saw a real smile on Leo's face and for some reason, she relaxed as well.

"Thank you, Persephone," Annabeth said to the goddess with a respectful nod. The goddess winked before disappearing in a flurry of flowers.

Annabeth never thought she would be truly grateful to any goddess, but for the first time since the quest started, all of them seemed perfectly relaxed. Jason and Leo grinned at each other and Annabeth felt an odd peace overcome her. She knew it wouldn't last—it was probably some spell that Persephone had put over them for the time being—but she felt so calm and so sure that everything would turn out okay.

She sat back down, returning to the amazing crepe. Annabeth wondered where Persephone had found all of this. Probably from Demeter. Everything that had been served had been made from the freshest ingredients. Considering that Demeter was Persephone's mother and the goddess of harvest...well, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch.

"We should be going," Annabeth decided fifteen minutes later after she finished her crepe. Jason and Leo looked up. They appeared to have been discussing something before Annabeth spoke.

"Already?" A crestfallen look appeared on Leo's face, though Annabeth didn't blame him. After everything that happened, for the first time, they had a direction. They weren't running from anything anymore, they were running to something. And for the first time in a long time, they had somewhere they knew was safe. That had been missing for so long that Annabeth treasured it more than just about anything.

Even Jason briefly displayed disappointment before remembering his position as a leader. "She's right," Jason sighed as he picked up his backpack. "We have to get going. There's no obvious time limit on this quest, but if we don't fix things soon, who knows what will happen. Gaea's army's had months to prepare. If they haven't left for Rome already, they will soon. We've got to stop that from happening."

Leo groaned as he stood up. "Fine, fine," he grumbled. "Stop making sense and being logical, both of you." He gave both of them a crooked grin.

Annabeth gave a quick smile at him, but it soon faded. She looked towards the doors of the breakfast house, wondering when she'd next have a real meal and where they were headed next. All they had was a general direction. Could that really help them find Percy?

She'd have to find out.

"Let's go," Annabeth repeated. Gathering up her courage, she walked out the door.

* * *

Jason's memories pained him.

It felt like he was channel surfing on the TV of his life. He'd see one scene of it, but he'd barely have time to register it before the memory ended.

He remembered a few names. Hazel. Not sure who she was, but definitely a friend. And Dakota. For some reason, when he thought of the guy, he thought of a reddish liquid that seemed vaguely familiar.

And then there was Reyna.

Jason winced as he thought of Reyna. He still wasn't sure exactly what had been between the two of them and it was getting on his nerves. A single memory stood out to him...

"_Grace." The dark-haired girl's lips barely formed a smile. She seemed more relaxed on the battlefield than sitting at meals._

"_Reyna." Jason smiled. "So...you gonna let me through or am I going to have to knock you out to pass?"_

_The girl rolled her eyes. "Like _you_ could do that." Her eyes glinted with amusement and she twirled a golden spear on her right arm confidently like a baton._

_Jason raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"_

"_Maybe," Reyna said, her smile growing a little wider. "You gonna run?"_

"_Heck no." With that, Jason flipped a coin, which transformed into his old weapon, Ivlivis, a double-edged sword and charged. Reyna blocked his attacks easily and dodged with amazing grace until Jason realized he was faced with empty air._

_A loud, resounding pain in the back of his head revealed where Reyna was. Jason fell with a groan, his helmet barely giving him enough protection from the blow._

"_And that," Jason could literally hear the smirk in her voice, "is how we do things in Rome."_

Something told Jason that that memory wasn't a very recent one, but despite everything, it still brought a very faint smile. It wasn't a bad memory, not in the least. Jason had no idea what he was doing, but it seemed like something that was important.*

He sighed as he mounted his pegasus. Maybe, just maybe, he'd remember things again. And maybe then he'd be able to sort out all these emotions.

* * *

"Do we have enough people for the border patrol?" Jay asked Anthony. He nodded. "We have Octavian, Janice, Lacey, and..."

The doors suddenly burst open. The lights in the main lobby, where the demigods made plans and held meetings, flickered. Wind blew through the doors and Jay raised an arm to defend herself from it.

Someone stood in the doorway. She had short, dark, punk-like hair with an out-of-place tiara in the middle of her head. In her right hand, she held a bronze spear. Her shield was expanded, the head of Medusa in the middle of it. Next to her, a younger demigod shrieked in fear when seeing the shield, which radiated fear and power that even Jay could feel from a good 20 feet away.

"Where's Annabeth?" the girl's eyes looked wild as her blue eyes searched the crowd. "_Where is she?_" Her voice boomed with power that resounded throughout the room. It wasn't until that moment that Jay realized she had been frozen with awe.

Jay was about to say something when a familiar redhead pushed through the demigods.

"She's gone," Rachel announced. Her green eyes flickered, looking worried. "What is it, Thalia?"

"What _is_ it?" Thalia, daughter of Zeus, seemed angered by these words. "I'll tell you what it is, Rachel Elizabeth Dare.*

"It's a freaking _trap_."

* * *

*Notes:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but my research says that Apollo was the god of truth and that he could not speak a lie.

Yes, I did my research and she is, surprisingly, the goddess of innocence.

In case it isn't obvious, the two are playing war games. Reyna is defending, Jason is attacking. This is a fairly old memory from when Jason and Reyna were younger and not yet praetors (why they're participating) and Reyna is a little more lighthearted and carefree here. I feel that while she is naturally an amazing warrior and somewhat cold (or as the Japanese say, tsundere), a lot of how she's acting in SoN is due to Percy himself and the absence of Jason.

I felt like including Rachel's full name in here since Riordan seems to have a habit of repeating it extremely often. XD

So, why did Hemera help them without asking for anything in return? Why is it that strife immediately ensued when she left?

I'm still not really satisfied with this chapter, and it'd be great if you could help me get things sorted out.


	4. Dusk

Author's Note:

Apologies for the delay. My computer decided to troll me and has been refusing to turn on for the past week. I got it back from Apple and immediately had to go on a family trip. Thus, this chapter is two weeks late...and may end up being three weeks late. I know I promised I'd give you guys a steady update rate but at this point, it's impossible. I'm on my toes trying to update it at all.

Unfortunately, my entire outline for this story is on my other computer and I don't have a backup copy since I didn't think it'd break down this early and hadn't set up Time Machine yet. I lost the everything on there, which means I've had to go back and rewrite a good chunk of it from memory, making things up while I go. The chapter isn't all too important since I barely started writing when my computer broke down on me, but the outline is a big loss.

The poll will be up for one more week before I take it down. So far, Jasper is winning, though Jeyna still has enough time to make a comeback.

* * *

"What do you mean, a trap?" Rachel echoed.

Thalia opened her mouth to answer before shutting it once more. "Can we get a room?" she murmured. "I'm not sure if the others should know this."

A boy with elfish features opened his mouth as if to say something, which Thalia waved off. "No, not that way, Travis," she said, plainly annoyed.

"I was just going to say," Travis Stoll said quietly, "that there's a room on the second floor that we often use for private meetings."

Thalia blinked, surprised. She looked towards Rachel for an explanation. Rachel knew the answer, but she kept her lips sealed. In the one and a half days she'd been with the demigods, she'd found out that Connor Stoll had died during the assault on Camp Half Blood and Travis had acted much more withdrawn ever since.

Rachel motioned for Thalia to join her upstairs. They climbed the stairs wordlessly and entered the room. The last time Rachel had been in there, she'd sent Annabeth off on the quest. It had only been a little more than a day, but it felt like it was in another lifetime.

"What did Artemis tell you?" Rachel asked as soon as the door closed behind them.

"She said that there was something wrong about this quest and the outcome would influence the Prophecy of Seven," Thalia said as she paced the room. "She said she couldn't tell me the specifics but it was necessary for me to warn them and help them."

Thalia looked up into Rachel's eyes. "Can you tell me exactly what the prophecy said? I need to know...it might help me find them."

Rachel nodded. "The truth is entangled within the despair, knowledge of which has vanished in air, to be found are four, to be caught are three, to be drowned is he beneath the sea."

Thalia blinked. "That...is a whole lot more vague than I accounted for." A flash of worry passed through her eyes. "To be drowned his he beneath the sea..."

Rachel didn't need to be an oracle to know what Thalia was thinking. "I don't know what the prophecy means, but you need to get going."

"Right." The cloud that had passed over Thalia's eyes vanished. "I need to go. Rachel..."

"Yeah?" the Oracle asked.

"I know sometimes you feel useless sitting at Camp but...if things play out the way I fear they will...you have to lead."

With that, Thalia ran out the room, leaving Rachel wondering exactly what she meant.

* * *

"Here!" Annabeth pointed at a thicket of trees.

The trio had just crossed the border into California an hour earlier. The trip had been fairly quiet as each reflected on their own thoughts. Now, they had landed on the western outskirts of Los Angeles, not too far away from the ocean. The sound of waves saddened Annabeth and tugged at her. If Percy was here...

They landed easily in the woods. Leo automatically reached for the reins but Annabeth cut him off. "I'll take them," she said quietly. "You can set up camp with Jason."

A flicker of anxiety went through Leo's eyes but he nodded and followed Jason who carried bundles of wood towards what was soon to be where they would camp for the night. Normally, Annabeth would prefer to find somewhere closer to civilization but three robotic pegasi would take some explaining, even to mortals.

Annabeth led the pegasi to a tree with a thick, low branch to tie their reins onto. She could hear and just about see the crackling fire that the boys had no doubt started.

Suddenly, there was a familiar hiss behind her. "What is thisssssss? A half-blood?"

With a swift and practiced motion, Annabeth reached for her knife, preparing to stab the dracaena. To her horror, she remembered that her dagger had gone missing after the hippogriff attack. The dracaena slashed her arms and though Annabeth didn't cry out, she winced, her steps slowing. The scratches weren't deep, but blood began to trickle down Annabeth's arms.

"Leo!" she yelled. "Jason!"

Silence was the only answer she received. Gritting her teeth, Annabeth whipped out the pocketknife she had taken from Leo instead. The dracanae snickered. "What a ppppppppitiful weapon! And they sssssssssaid you were worth being feared!"

She lunged at Annabeth. Expertly, Annabeth swung the knife into the dracaena's shoulder. The monster didn't disappear, but she did cry in agony.

"Youuu," she hissed. "Will paaaaaay!"

_Leo, Jason_, Annabeth thought desperately. _Where are you?_

* * *

Jason dumped the pile of sticks and twigs to the ground, not saying a word. After they had left the diner, Jason had begun feeling worse. They hadn't talked much, if at all.

Usually, when Jason was in the air, his mind was clear. This time though, he felt irritated. When Jason left the diner, he had temporarily forgotten Leo's comment about not caring. Now though, it surged back to him with such force that he began to feel something that vaguely resembled contempt.

Leo seemed to sense this as he stood awkwardly after lighting the fire. "Listen...Jason...I...I didn't mean to."

"Oh? Really?" Jason's normally calm voice was tinged with anger. "So do you think that means you can just randomly accuse me of not caring? About my _girlfriend_?"

His voice rose higher with each word. The air around him was tense, tingling with electricity.

Leo's eyes no longer burned with the cheerful fire that Jason was used to seeing in them. Instead, they seemed cold. Resigned.

"Fine," Leo said, his voice piercing Jason like a thousand shards of ice. The tone made Jason blink and suddenly, his mind cleared. "Fine. I'll go since you obviously don't want my company."

He turned and walked away, towards the edge of the woods.

"No, Leo, I...I didn't mean it that way!" Jason scrambled over his words. He ran to his best friend, grabbing him by the shoulder and spinning him around. The iciness in Leo's ice made Jason step back in shock.

"Then maybe," Leo's eyes were colder than even Khione's greatest snowstorm, "you should've thought of that."

He pushed Jason's hand off his shoulder and disappeared into the trees.

Jason stood there, stunned. An overwhelming sense of failure seemed to overcome him.

Desperately, Jason tried one more time. "Leo!" His shout rang through the forest, echoing around him. He felt alone. Very alone.

That's when he remembered that Annabeth should still be around. Though Jason felt weak relying on someone else for guidance and leadership, Jason knew she was the only one who could help him right now.

"Annabeth?" he called. No one answered. "Annabeth? Where'd you go?"

"Oh, right here! Gimme a second, I'm coming!"

Relief washed over Jason. Footsteps came through the forest and Jason headed towards them.

"I did something stupid," Jason confessed. "It was my fault...I shouldn't have reacted to Leo that way, I shouldn't have been so...so..." The words seemed to tumble out of his mouth and Jason couldn't seem to stop them. He needed someone right now, someone to support him.

"Jason..." Annabeth's voice had gotten closer. "Look, it's not your fault and blaming yourself won't make things better. But we need to find Leo, Jason, we've got to..."

Someone stepped out into the small clearing where Jason had planned to set up camp, but it wasn't Annabeth.

"We've got to, Jason," the Cyclops grinned, speaking in Annabeth's voice perfectly. "After all, I'm getting hungry."

* * *

She really, really missed her dagger.

That was the only thought she was repeating to herself as she fought the dracaena. Annabeth's mind had automatically gone into battle mode, her ADHD kicking in, telling her where to go, what to do. Each of Annabeth's strikes landed precisely where she planned them to. Despite this, her attacks did nothing more than enrage the monster.

On the other hand, Annabeth suffered more injuries than she had since the Second Titan War. Long scratches ran down both of her arms, both trickling blood. There was a scratch on Annabeth's forehead that ran along the side of her face. If the scratch had extended to her temple, she could've had serious injuries. Regardless, the scratch hurt and if Annabeth didn't kill the dracaena soon, she had a bad feeling that she wouldn't live to finish this quest.

The dracaena seemed to sense this and her attacks became more vigorous. "Pity that you won't be there for our greatessssssst victory." The dracaena gave a hoarse, raspy laugh. "It would be mossssssst wonderful."

Annabeth ducked under the dracaena and the dracaena sliced thin air. Annabeth's hands moved methodically, her New York Yankees cap flying onto her head, her body shimmering and disappearing. By the time the dracaena turned around, she was gone.

"Fighttttt!" The dracanae snarled. She slashed at the air. "Apppppppear, half-blood, so that I may killll you!"

Suddenly, she stopped. She trembled before she burst into gold dust and green slime. Annabeth whipped off her cap, the pocketknife having sliced through the upper half of the dracaena's body.

"Not a chance," she said savagely.

Now that she was done with the monster, Annabeth's thoughts returned to her quest mates. However angry they were, she believed that they would never just leave her without good reason. Which meant...they were likely in a battle of their own.

Annabeth gripped the pocketknife in her hand. It wasn't the best weapon, but it was the only weapon she had. And she had a feeling that she might need to use it.

* * *

Jason froze. Memories of his encounter with Cyclopes flooded back to him, especially the time when he had been knocked out, leaving Leo and Piper to fend on their own. This Cyclops certainly wasn't the one that he'd seen that day, but he might as well have been. The malice in his eye was unmistakable.

"The mighty son of Jupiter!" the Cyclops roared, though his voice was full of delight. "Abandoned by his friends—left alone! Do you believe you have what it takes to defeat me?"

Jason unsheathed his gladius, the one that Juno had given him so long ago. "Yes," he replied, putting as much energy and confidence into his voice as possible. "As a matter of fact, I believe I can."

The Cyclop's smile just grew wider. "I believe I phrased my question incorrectly! Do you believe you have what it takes...to defeat _us_?"

A shiver ran through Jason's body as monsters emerged from the woods. Snake women, dracaenae, he believed they were called, hissed at him. Another Cyclops entered, roaring as he raised a wooden club above his head. Two creatures he had never seen before—tigers with the bodies of wolves—snarled at him with their ugly yellow fangs.

There was no time to think. With a yell, Jason charged towards the first Cyclops. His gladius struck the monster full on but the monster only stumbled. Gold-plated armor shimmered from underneath his ragged cotton shirt.

"Is that all you have, child of Jupiter?" the Cyclops taunted. His companion grunted in agreement.

Jason stood there, shaking. Suddenly, Lupa's words resounded in his mind. _Run away and live to fight another day._

He had no chance in this battle. Gripping his gladius, he took a step back.

The Cyclops advanced, chuckling. "So this is how it is, isn't it?" he laughed. "Son of the mighty Jupiter who toppled the throne of Krios chooses to surrender? If you come with me, boy, we shall have fun, fun indeed."

Jason drove his sword into the back of a nearby tree. The tree creaked and groaned and the monsters backed away instinctively in fear. Using their hesitation and temporary distraction, Jason ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

It was cowardly to run and every fiber of him, every single cell in his mind told him to turn around and fight like a true Roman. But Jason ran.

The Cyclopses roared in indignation. "Come back, you fool! Stand and fight!"

Footsteps echoed behind Jason. Branches whipped him from both sides, leaving red streaks on his skin. A sound that seemed to be a cross between a howl and a roar sounded behind him. Jason tripped on a rock but brought himself up again.

_Run, run, run._

* * *

When Annabeth burst through the clearing in search of Jason and Leo, there was nothing. A tree had been cracked in half, almost but not quite toppling over. Footprints were all over around the fire which was still burning so they hadn't been gone for long.

"Jason? Leo?" Annabeth called. She kneeled on the ground, one finger tracing the largest footprint. It was much larger than a normal human's, though shaped similarly. Nearby, there were paw prints—wolves or dogs or something of the sort. Next to them were tracks that resembled that of snakes—dracaenae. Leo and Jason had been ambushed by monsters.

She had to move camp. There was no other choice. Annabeth had to go after the two of them and she definitely could not leave everything here. Also...

Annabeth looked down at her arms. The blood on them had dried and the flow had stopped but if she didn't look into them soon, they would get infected, something Annabeth had experienced and wasn't eager to go through any time soon.

There was nothing around. Leo and Jason had obviously taken their backpacks with them—possibly because they'd never taken them off. Annabeth grimaced. She put out the fire as best as she could and walked away.

A few minutes later, she arrived in the place where she had fought the dracaena. The robotic pegasusi stood motionless where she had left them. Annabeth grabbed one of them and mounted easily, taking to the sky.

They soared above Los Angeles, Annabeth searching for any signs of Leo or Jason, but it was hopeless. Too many streets, too many people, too many buildings. She'd tried the woods as well, but there was no smoke and to search on foot would've been both dangerous and endless.

The flight, despite being a great deal shorter than the previous flights, seemed to extend on forever. Around her, there was only silence. Her robotic pegasus was silent and Annabeth thought of the pegasus she used to ride at Camp—Guido. Even after Camp Half-Blood had been invaded, there had always been _someone_, someone living that she could see or at least know that they were nearby. Now, emptiness surrounded her.

The sun began to set and Annabeth cursed in Greek. To find two missing demigods next to a gigantic city that housed millions in the middle of the night would be an impossible quest. She had to find somewhere to stay for the night...and she had to tend to her wounds. Her arms felt like lead and the pain, which had begun to fade, started to intensify. Annabeth didn't want to know what that signified.

She landed the robotic pegasus near the woods where they had originally meant to set up camp. The pain in her arms made her feel faint as she groped for ambrosia or nectar in her bag. Finally, at the bottom, she found one small, squashed square of the godly food. Ever since the attack on the camps, they had been low on ambrosia and nectar and one square of ambrosia had been all Annabeth was willing to take from the demigods' hideout. Annabeth broke off a little bit and chewed it.

The ambrosia seemed to melt in Annabeth's mouth. It tasted like a lot of things, but mostly like a simple, hot dish of spaghetti and meatballs. The warmth spread to Annabeth's toes and slowly, the wounds on her arms began to heal. There wasn't enough ambrosia to make them completely go away, but the green tint around the edges faded and the cuts looked like they were several days old.

Relieved, Annabeth sat down numbly. If Jason and Leo were to return anywhere, it would be here, but the same could be said for the monsters. It would be best to move away, not too far, but enough to ensure she wouldn't be ambushed in the night.

Putting the rest of the ambrosia square in her bag, Annabeth led the pegasus away, deeper into the woods.

* * *

Jason collapsed.

He'd been running from the monsters for at least two hours. It was dark in the woods, but for the first time, it was also silent. No hissing. No growling. No stomping. Just silence.

In a way, it scared Jason more than noise would've. Noise at least told him where his enemies were. But Jason had been running for so long. He wanted to be able to hope—just a little bit of hope wasn't a crime, was it?—that the monsters were gone.

Pulling himself up, Jason staggered around. Through the thick layers of trees, he could spot a patch of green grass. He stumbled there, crashing into the soft grass. Panting heavily, he lay there for a while, trying to catch his breath.

Slowly, Jason's panting turned into regular breaths. His gladius lay next to him, the shiny gold surface reflecting the moon.

Just as Jason's eyes began to close (he was so exhausted he barely cared about safety at this point), a form shimmered before him. His gladius began to glow with a burning light and Jason instinctively sat up. His drowsiness faded as the figure became visible.

"Juno," Jason said. "I mean, Hera."

The goddess smiled at him, her Greek-style white dress shimmering as she moved. "I am in my Greek form, but you may continue to call me Juno. It is what you are most familiar with, no?"

"You still didn't give me my memories back," Jason murmured.

Juno's gaze was difficult to read. "No," she said. "I did not give you your full memories back. There are trials you must endure before you truly remember your past. I assure you though, they are closer than you think. Memories are a difficult matter. They bring pain in addition to joy and no one is ever exempt from it. You are my hero, Jason Grace. I trust that you will survive what is to come.

"You will need a good night's rest to ensure that you have enough energy for what you may face tomorrow," Juno continued. "Good night, Jason Grace. I bid you good luck."

As she began to glow, Jason's eyelids grew heavy. By the time she had disappeared, Jason was fast asleep.

* * *

Leo woke up.

He didn't remember where he'd passed out, but after leaving Jason in fury, his mind had been completely blank. He hadn't been thinking. All he felt was fury and, in the back of his mind, failure and doubt. Leo had ended up wandering around the city and then...he didn't know.

Leo sat up and looked at his surroundings. He was in a nice room, a little too nice. He was on a comfortable white bed with several fluffy pillows and a wood desk in the corner. There was a TV cabinet in front of him. A completely normal (perhaps too normal) room. A hotel room. The lights were all turned on and the curtains were drawn. Odd.

Just as Leo was beginning to wonder exactly why he was here (and somewhat panic since no one knew where he was), the air shimmered. Hemera, goddess of daytime, appeared before him. She was dressed more casually now in well-worn jeans and a glowing yellow t-shirt.

"Hello Leo," she said, flashing him a brilliant smile.

Leo blinked. There was something _wrong_ about the situation...though he couldn't be sure exactly what. He frowned.

"What am I doing here? Heck, lady, what are you doing here? Where are..." Leo's voice faded as he thought of his friends. A wave of guilt swept over him. He'd abandoned him. He ran away—just like he always did. Just like he always would.

"They're safe," Hemera said simply. "Look, Leo, you have a big part to play, not just in this quest but in plenty of other places. Right now, your group is in shambles."

"I _know_," Leo stressed. "That's why I need to get back to them. Now. And...all that stuff about the Great Prophecy of Seven and stuff..." Leo's voice faltered. "You know what? Never mind."

Hemera didn't seem surprised by his reaction. "I wasn't talking about that. I was talking about the other demigods. You're supposed to fight Gaea, but you're too weak. You need to start planning...and now."

She waved her hand and numerous scrolls appeared on the wooden table. "I believe you were told this last year, but I shall remind you. You are like the hard drive of the seven. If you fail, they shall all fail. You are the machinery. You must be a step ahead of the game."

Hemera nodded and Leo looked away as the goddess disappeared in a sheet of golden sparks.

* * *

Annabeth watched the fire silently. She was huddled in a small ball, wearing a worn cotton jacket that didn't do much to shut the coldness out. She knew that the smartest course of action would've been to head into the city, but there were too many memories there. So instead, she had decided to stay in the woods.

Out of her backpack, Annabeth took some other clothes out. Using her backpack as a pillow, she lay down and watched the crackling fire.

She felt so alone. Percy...if he was here...if only.

Annabeth was tired of being strong. Tired of standing up and taking everything on her shoulders. For the first time, she admitted to herself that she couldn't hole up. That she couldn't do this.

A silent tear trickled out of her eye as she watched the flames. The crying came slowly. It didn't evolve into full blown sobs, but Annabeth could still feel her heart breaking apart at the seams.

_I can't do this. Not anymore._

* * *

Her brown hair was matted from days of living in the woods. She was so far away from where she'd begun. In fact, she could barely remember where she'd begun. Heck, she barely knew where she was right now.

Her hair had grown longer in the past few weeks after she'd woken up in the middle of nowhere. She'd cut it, but really, at this point it was the least of her worries. Thanks to a broken ankle, her progress had been slow. She barely knew where she was headed—in fact, she was probably going in the wrong direction. All she knew was that if she stayed put, sooner or later, she'd be killed by monsters. Boiled or eaten or delivered to Gaea, she didn't know which, but she was certain that the outcome wouldn't be one she liked.

She had to find them. Really, at this point, it was the only thing that was keeping her going.

She limped slightly, squinting to read the signs. Los Angeles? Disappointment flared through her. So she had been going the wrong way. Joy.

She sighed as she hobbled to the nearest motel. Time to find somewhere to rest before moving on.

* * *

Author's Note:

I'm sorry for the late update.

Life's been kinda tough on me. I'm moving in a week's time into a new dorm and I have to finish packing and saying all my goodbyes. My computer's broken down several times in the past two weeks and I had to send it to Apple twice. Not to mention my parents are planning to give away my dog after I leave. I also have to finish up several applications.

Anyways, I hope this chapter wasn't too horrible. Please review.


	5. Shadows

Author's Note:

So, thank you for the support in the previous chapter. :) I got my laptop fixed but I'm traveling and moving into my new dorm. I also have a great deal of other things that call for my attention, so I can't promise a weekly update since school is starting up.

However, I do hope that this chapter will satisfy.

I dedicate this chapter to those who are kind enough to keep me going with their reviews. Thank you so much, you don't know what it means to me.

Oh, and one more thing. You'll notice that my writing style changes to a lighter style in this chapter, especially when writing about the gods. I was reading a humor fic in the middle of it, which is why it ended up this way. Apologies. I suppose you can also think of it as the fact that the reality of the war has not truly set in for most of the gods. They are in denial, especially with Khione and Gaea whispering in their ears.

I started rereading this chapter right after Christmas, when I decided I was going to start writing fanficiton again. This is my work from a few months prior, so I apologize for the quality.

Sorry for the late update.

Disclaimer: I can honestly say that if I owned Percy Jackson, it wouldn't exist in the first place.

1Dfangirl3: The reason there are so few pieces of Percy will become clear soon. It's intentional, so I'm sorry if it disappoints you.

* * *

The night was uneventful, which Annabeth was immensely thankful for. Perhaps Athena was watching over her, she hadn't had a single dream.

Annabeth cracked her eyes open as the sunlight streamed through the tops of trees to see a large shadow. Fear flickered in her mind and she grabbed for her knife...again, coming up empty. She couldn't make out who it was but Annabeth scrambled for her pocketknife.

"Hello, Annabeth."

Relief washed through her, though for some reason Annabeth remained tense. The goddess of wisdom stood before her, her expression unreadable. She didn't look pleased, nor did she look particularly unhappy. Cold, perhaps. No, not quite.

Athena was dressed in a gray toga of some sort. A thin circlet of olive branches rested on her hair. The air around her shimmered slightly as she moved, glowing with power.

"Mother." Annabeth didn't understand why Athena was here. The entire thing really made her nervous. So many gods and they'd only been traveling for three days.

Athena seemed to be able to read her mind. "This quest is an important one," Athena said. "Many gods and goddesses have taken an interest in it. Whether or not that interest is good is a different question."

The goddess frowned as if an unpleasant thought had occurred to her. "Annabeth...this quest will not be the end."

A feeling of surprise flitted through Annabeth, though it disappeared as suddenly as it came. "Because of the Prophecy of Seven, right?"

Athena seemed to be choosing her words carefully. "There are certain things...you must undertake that no one else can do. Also...I cannot tell you of the details of this quest, but it will push many people to their limits even before the war begins."

Gray eyes met gray. "Annabeth, there is something you must do, something no one else can do. I need you to do it for me."

* * *

_Jason didn't recognize the boy._

_He was shorter than Jason and looked Asian. His face was round, but thin and weary from suffering, his eyes cold, almost as if dead. He shivered heavily, his breath coming out in heavy pants. Originally, he might've appeared almost robust, but now he looked like he was only a little away from dying._

_The boy was in a cavern of some sort, a thick ice wall preventing him from getting out. On the wall were faint traces of blood and punctures, though it refused to give._

Give up.

_Jason flinched at the voice that he had heard so many times, that invaded his dreams more than he cared to admit._

"_No." The boy's voice was cracked as if his determination to reject Gaea was fading. "I won't. I can't."_

_There were sounds in the background, like Gaea was restless._

I cannot kill you, boy,_ Gaea mused. _But I can break you.

_A scream pierced the air as the boy fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Jason couldn't make out why the boy was acting that way, though it was obvious that he was being tortured. Possibly by Gaea. The boy whimpered and went silent. Jason thought he was dead for a moment before remembering Gaea's words. _I cannot kill you.

Jason Grace. _Jason could almost see the earth goddess curling her lip in distaste._ What a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, it will not last much longer.

_Suddenly, the earth beneath him seemed to crumble and Jason gave a silent yell as he sunk into the soil and dirt._

Jason woke up with a start, clutching his head. He squinted at the surroundings, trying to remember. Oh, yes. He'd been on a quest with Leo and Annabeth and they had all gotten separated. All because of him.

Jason winced slightly as he stood up, a little stiff from sleeping on the ground. He thought back to his dream, but no matter how hard he searched his memories, he couldn't identify the boy. It irked him. Jason didn't think he'd ever met him, but he must've been important to be singled out by Gaea that way.

Gathering his things, Jason decided that it was time to go. He had mistakes to make up for and he had to find his friends. The anger that Jason had felt yesterday had dissipated, filled instead with disappointment in himself. He was supposed to be the one others looked for guidance. Instead, he'd chased everyone else away.

Gripping his backpack, Jason set off.

* * *

She ran her finger along the tracks, frowning. They were close, they had to be. But it was becoming confusing. They were splitting off in different directions.

Mumbling something about stupidity, the girl decided to follow the second path. The first one had been the one she followed from the city. The tracks disappeared in an alleyway, a dead end. However, the second path seemed to be surrounded by other prints, large humanoid prints as well as pawprints. That made her nervous.

She wished she had someone by her side right now. Even after having gone through so much, she was still struggling with the fact that she was alone.

"Alright," she murmured to herself. "Get a grip on yourself. You have to find them...and soon."

With that, she followed the footprints and disappeared into the forest.

* * *

Thalia really hated heights.

Which is why she was extremely annoyed when she discovered that Leo's way of transport was flight.

It troubled her in more than one way. Thalia could not seem to be able to keep her eyes open when on pegasi. More importantly, it was nearly impossible to track pegasi.

How the Hades was she supposed to find all of her friends now?

The hunter of Artemis slammed her fist into the ground, cursing in Ancient Greek. She wanted to beat up something or someone (preferably that Leo kid who had come up with the idea), but knew that it wouldn't help her circumstances in any case.

Grimacing, Thalia knelt and prayed. "Artemis," she breathed. "Please grant me the ability I need to be able to track my friends down."

When Thalia opened her eyes, there was a very thin silvery trail on the ground. Immediately recognized it as a gift from Artemis, Thalia leapt up, following it. Ever since joining the Hunters, Thalia had gotten much stealthier. She was fairly confident she could take on almost any monster that dared to approach her.

Still, if the quest had started several days ago and if they were riding on pegasi (even if they were machine made), they had such a great head start, Thalia wasn't sure she could catch up. She had to, for the sake of her friends, but it was daunting. They could be in Hawaii for all she knew.

Still, a lead was a lead. Thalia ran through the woods as easily as a deer, just praying that Artemis would guide her and that her friends would be alright.

* * *

"And you did _what_?"

Hades glared at his wife, who ignored him and focused on the flower patterned dining cloth. Hades had originally wanted black with skulls, but Persephone had stubbornly refused.

"I told you," his wife said simply, waving her hand and changing the flower pattern from tulips to roses. "I served breakfast to a few people because I felt like it."

"_People?_" Hades was outraged. She chose to serve _mere mortals_? "But you won't even serve _me_ breakfast!" It was a depressing thought. Hades almost wanted to whimper.

Persephone sent a dry look at him. "Have you ever considered why that might be?" Hades muttered something darkly under his breath.

The goddess of springtime yawned and stretched. "I was bored. And you should be glad that I didn't choose to serve Zeus or something."

Hades scowled. "And who were these mortals?"

Persephone shrugged. "Oh, you know them. You know them fairly well, actually."

Hades' glare did not wane. "That does not tell me who they are."

"Quest."

Hades' look of anger turned to indignation. "Even you know that the ancient laws state that we're not supposed to interfere with quests, Persephone? Gods, what has gotten into you?"

Persephone muttered something about Hades being too traditional before returning to designing the tablecloth.

Hades didn't respond to this, instead looking at the empty seat of the dining table. A pang hit him heavily. Nico should be there, sitting next to them, rolling his eyes at Persephone. The boy worried Hades incessantly, even when circumstances weren't this way. He still wasn't truly accepted by the world, and that irked Hades to no avail.

But now, Hades would take that any day over Nico being _gone_.

The fact that he could not feel where his son was disheartened him. It was more so enhanced by the fact that Hades _knew_ what Nico had been looking for before he was captured. It meant, that indirectly, Nico's disappearance was his fault. His fault for letting the Doors of Death open.

Hades put his head in his hands. He wasn't sure he could take it much longer.

* * *

Zeus was having a bad day.

No, scratch that. He'd been having a crappy year.

It had all started with that upstart demigod, Percy Jackson, who, for some reason, found it nearly impossible to keep out of trouble. So of course, he had to go and be missing. Originally, even Zeus was baffled by his abduction (though he would never admit it). Of course, it had to be his wife that was behind the scheme. And _she_ was the one who demanded they go through marriage counseling courses. After making his life so complicated as well.

Zeus grumbled as the god of travelers shimmered before him. "Lord Zeus," Hermes said, kneeling.

Zeus waved for the god to stand up, uninterested in formalities at the moment. "What is it, Hermes?"

"She's traveling at a shocking speed towards the West Coast," Hermes reported. "I believe she's tracking the quest."

The god's expression darkened. "Of course," he muttered. His lightning bolt appeared in his hand, crackling with energy. He had the urge to throw it at somewhere random. In fact, he wouldn't mind if the entire US was flooded today. Poseidon would protest of course, though the god was preoccupied with...other matters.

"Is there anything else you'd like me to do?" Hermes had gotten out his phone and was looking through it. Probably a bit rude in front of the king of the gods, but Zeus' mind was elsewhere.

"No, not really. Report to me tomorrow of her progress."

The god of travelers nodded and disappeared.

Zeus sat in his throne, not sure what to do. Finally, he sighed and left the throne room.

* * *

Two young girls, one about eight and the other maybe eleven, sat around a crackling fire. The older one petted a young gray wolf which almost purred in pleasure. The younger tended the fire.

"No luck?"

The older one shook her head. "Sadly not. Thalia is making her way to the quest members and I am helping her, but it still appears to be a long shot."

The younger nodded. "Do you believe Zeus will open up Olympus soon? Surely he cannot keep it closed for much longer."

The other girl frowned. "He can be...stubborn, at times," she admitted. "But Hestia, surely you can reason with him."

Hestia laughed, though it was a melancholy sound. "Do you believe that Lord Zeus will listen to reason now? Our enemies are stronger and smarter than last time, Artemis."

"I am well aware," Artemis said curtly. "But you are the only one he may listen to."

"I tend the fire," Hestia said simply. "It is not my business to interfere."

Artemis looked away, a distant look in her eyes. "But your strongest hearth, your original hearth, may be extinguished soon."

She stood up. The gray wolf pricked up its ears and Artemis scratched it on the nose. "Think about it, Hestia. Percy Jackson was right in a way. You are the last Olympian, and possibly one of the most important ones."

With that, she drew an arrow from her back and holding her bow, Artemis disappeared into the woods.

The goddess of the hearth watched her go.

"But I know that," Hestia whispered. "I know that. I just don't know how to save my home."

* * *

He thrashed Apollo. Again and again.

The twin of Artemis held up his hands. "Truce, truce!" he yelped. "Gods, Ares, won't you please calm down for a moment?"

Area growled. "What is this calming down you speak of? Is it infectious?"

Apollo managed a grin. "Now, now, Ares, let's all be diploma..."

_Dong_. Apollo felt his head ringing as Ares' sword slammed into his helmet.

"What...the _Hades_ was that for?" Apollo yelled. "Wait, no, I have the explanation."

Apollo cleared his throat and recited:

_Ares is angry_

_I remain cool 'cause I'm best_

_I am just awesome_

Apollo grinned, only to almost get sliced by a sword.

"Ares, stop!"

The god of war panted heavily. He grimaced as he sheathed his sword.

Apollo peered at the other god, concern in his eyes. "Ares, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," the god grunted. Ares averted his eyes from the god of prophecy, who ironically probably knew exactly what the god of war was thinking of.

"Aw, hey," Apollo put an arm around Ares. "I know it's tough. How 'bout I make up a haiku to help you with everything."

The swinging of a sword was his answer.

"Truce, truce!"

* * *

"It's on sale. Just five dollars, ma'am." The perfectly timed raising of the eyebrow. "Though...obviously free for you."

The glazed eyes of the sales agent made Aphrodite uneasy. It used to make her quite proud that she had such an amazing ability, one that was often overlooked. But now, she almost felt..._bad_ about using it.

At any rate, Aphrodite thought, it was a rather pretty dress. She took the silky lavender dress from the bag, admiring the simplicity yet beauty of it. Really, she adored beauty. It made her feel...good to be herself.

Though honestly, the dress probably would've looked better on her daughter.

Aphrodite bit her lip. She hadn't seen Piper in months and her daughter's disappearance frightened her more than she cared to admit. Maybe it was selfish. Maybe...

She didn't want to lose her daughter again.

* * *

Hephaestus found humans, quite frankly, annoying.

They were difficult to calculate. Machines, now they, he understood. Never acted up. Were always precise. Easy to fix.

Humans...they were more difficult.

It pained him, watching his son from afar. He felt so damn useless.

If there was ever anything that Hephaestus wanted, it was to understand people. To be good with them. His son bore the same curse that he did. The inability to understand others. The feeling of isolation. The never ending whispers behind his back that he didn't know how to deal with except by turning to the only thing he did understand.

Why couldn't he just be better?

His mother had been beautiful and smart and she'd understood people. Maybe that's why Hephaestus had felt attracted to her from the start. Because of her kindness. Her acceptance. The way she smiled.

He smashed his hammer down on a random piece of steel, flattening it.

Humans.

* * *

She pressed the map down as she listened to a few telkhines drone about Gaea this, Gaea that. She really didn't want to hear anything else. It hadn't been easy to stay alive with Gaea wanting her blood so badly after what she'd done to her so many years ago.

But still, she was useful to Gaea. That was probably why she wasn't dead yet.

She studied the map intently, though she had already memorized the route that the monsters were planning to take. The candlelight flickered and almost instinctively, her hand reached towards her chest. No, she had to stop doing that. No more.

The horn sounded and she knew it was time for lunch. She didn't want to go, but she had to. Not going would be suspicious. Considering where she was, it was probably better for her to stay on their good side.

Still though...

She missed her friends deeply, but she doubted they would ever forgive her for what she was doing. For being like this. For abandoning them. And Frank...for abandoning Frank. He couldn't be dead but maybe he was dying. Maybe he was being tortured. And it was her fault.

She wanted forgiveness.

It was too late.

* * *

Author's Note: Okay, so explanation. The first part is a link to _The Mark of Athena_ and Athena's gift to Annabeth. I decided to include it because I didn't want to completely take away from the actual books. It also might lead to a future sequel, though at this moment I'm doubting it.

A small, lighter piece with Hades and Persephone. Only reason I'm writing it is because I'm being influenced by this fanfiction piece I'm reading and I'm trying to display the gods different reactions to the quest at hand. Hades is being somewhat proud in the sense that he's telling Persephone off for breaking the rules, but he's also secretly worried about Nico. He's also being somewhat whiny because he's annoyed at his wife for...well, serving mere mortals.

Zeus is also concerned about Thalia and somewhat convinced that his daughter is doing the wrong thing (though she would never listen to him). And yes, he does, to an extent, stalk her. He's also very well aware of where Annabeth, Leo, and Jason landed considering that he is the god of the skies.

A little elaboration on Hestia here. I wanted to bring out the often ignored characters in Percy Jackson that take minor roles and make them a part of something bigger, something crucial to whether or not this is a happy ending. I believe Hestia is one of those characters that are under-appreciated. It's the same with Rachel. Rachel will be crucial to this story, though I haven't decided about Hestia.

Ares' part is brief. He finds it difficult to express himself in anything other than fighting.

You'll note that a great deal of this chapter is around the gods, somewhat of a filler chapter. I'm happy to announce that the next chapter will actually speed the plot up. You'll also note that one particular god is not mentioned—Poseidon. This is for reasons I will not disclose for the next two or three chapters.

I have to admit though, it was really rather refreshing writing about the gods. Haven't really talked about them and their feelings in this story until now.

Things are going to start speeding up quickly. Sorry for the wait!


	6. First Star

Author's Note:

I have to say, getting back into writing is exhilarating. Reviews keep me going, but still. I'm glad to finally churn this story out. It's the only story I've actually written an outline for and I can't wait. I may need to cut a few chapters (some honestly move too slowly and seem too filler-ish), but I hope that my final product will be something worth being proud of.

I don't believe in making excuses but I will explain why this chapter is late. I just got back to school on Sunday with 16 (or is it 17 with DST?) hour jet lag which isn't _too_ bad but still pretty bad (especially on day one, that was bad). I got my horse back yesterday which means I have to muck in the mornings (and I don't have jet lag anymore to help me, just the minor side effects, aka feeling like you want to crash in the middle of the day). My dad wants me to read Chinese and some other books and I'm behind so I actually have to do extra work to catch up (not to mention this is for me to pay off my Kindle which I'd really love to pay off ASAP). I have to work my horse five days a week for 1.5-2 hours after school as well. I've got a rough draft of an essay due for Math tomorrow that I haven't started which I really need a good grade on. Not to mention I have another fanfiction story I'm working on... *gulp* Sometimes I wonder why I got back into Fanfiction...

The first bit is a part I forgot to put in the last chapter. Assume that it happened during the night.

Sorry for the late update! My other story will also be up shortly (read next few days).

On that note, here we go!

* * *

The goddess walked calmly through the woods in the dark, seeing everything as clearly as if it were daylight. Her white robes shimmered as if she wasn't completely there.

"Hemera," she mused as she picked up a flower. "Goddess of daylight, daughter of Nyx and Erebos. Pity that she's useless during the night." The flower turned black and crumbled into dust in her hand. She let the dust fall.

Her white robes flickered again and she sighed. "So bothersome some time, seems I need to order some new robes." She snapped her fingers and the white robes fell away, revealing a slim black dress, tattered and shredded at the bottom. Her ebony black hair fell out of her ponytail and the goddess leaned against a tree.

"Meh." She blew a wisp of hair in front of her face away. "At least I'm not quite a proper goddess. That would mean solidity and..." she shuddered. "It would be horrible. Look at the gods, so weak as their children run with fear while I stand tall with no help."

These words echoed in the forest to no one in particular and she heaved another sigh.

"Whatever."

* * *

Jason hacked through the brush with his gladius, wishing desperately that he hadn't run away. Fear raced through him. What if Leo and Annabeth didn't forgive him? He was supposed to be a hero. All he was now was a son of Zeus. A useless son of Zeus.

He thought of Thalia, wishing she were here. Then again, maybe it was better that she wasn't. Jason felt a wave of jealousy course through him. She was so much...so much _better_ than he was. So much more confident and comfortable with being herself. He'd much rather be in whatever position she was in than be stuck here in a forest, wanting to take everything he'd done back.

"Annabeth!" Jason called. "Leo!" There was no answer and Jason stabbed his gladius into the ground, glaring at it. He didn't particularly know why he was so angry at the gladius but it felt good to vent his anger at something, anything really.

He hated being Mr. Perfect sometimes. It sounded like a silly thought compared to some things that other people were going through, but it was hard. Nothing really came easily to demigods, no matter who their parents were. Everyone felt their life was difficult and that life was unfair. Jason sighed. He tried to understand others, he really did. But he feared that the one time it would matter most, he would fail. He'd make the wrong decision. It would all be on his shoulders.

For a brief moment, his thoughts flitted to Percy Jackson. Jason couldn't help but feel jealous for the son of Poseidon. He was powerful, but didn't need to mind keeping peace and order. He was a natural leader and didn't need to pretend to be confident. He was rebellious and fun. That...Jason swallowed, was something he could never become. Jason had always stuck to the rules and he had a feeling that one day, he'd look back and wonder what exactly he'd done in his life.

Jason jerked the gladius out of the ground. He was a Roman. Romans did not complain. Romans did not waste time lamenting over a useless and pointless life.

Romans plunged into battle. Romans were strong and just and loyal.

Jason bit his lip. A part of his brain screamed _No!_ But the other part, the greater part, knew it was right.

He was Roman, it was part of his blood. And Romans did not fail.

* * *

Dreams tormented her all night, but she forgot them as soon as she heard the hacking in the bushes.

Leaping up, Annabeth clumsily opened her pocketknife, holding it out in front of her. Whoever was coming here certainly wasn't stealthy.

Her heart swelled with relief when she saw a blond head poke out, a welcome sight. "Jason!" Annabeth exclaimed.

The son of Jupiter looked terrible like he'd had nightmares and been chased by monsters. Chances were, that was exactly what had happened.

Jason blinked as if he didn't believe she was here. "Annabeth?" he croaked. "I thought you were...where's Leo?"

"...I thought he was with you." For the first time, Annabeth noticed the long red marks on Jason's arms as if he had been lashed with a whip.

Jason swallowed. If it hadn't been for him...if he hadn't run...

"We have to get a move on," Jason said instead. "There's a Cyclops around here somewhere...I couldn't kill him." The words felt bitter on his mouth but he forced them out anyways. "We've got to find Leo—who knows where he's gone. And..."

Jason stopped, his expression moving from determined to concerned. "Annabeth...what happened?"

Annabeth blinked. For a moment, she thought he was asking about what had happened last night with Athena and the thought filled her with dread. Then she realized he was talking about her wounds. "Oh, uh, dracaena," she supplied. "Don't have my knife anymore and it takes a lot of good stabs to kill a monster with a pocketknife..."

"Oh..." The two of them stood awkwardly before Annabeth shifted her backpack to the other shoulder.

"C'mon, the pegasi are over here. We've got a son of Hephaestus to find."

* * *

It took forever. And that was an understatement.

Neither of them had eaten in a while and Jason desperately wished Persephone was here to make them breakfast again. No such luck though.

The two demigods leaned against a brick red building, grim looks on their faces. For the first time, Jason was really hit by how hard this quest was. In his other quests, he'd had more direction, more hope. He'd had food and shelter. Now, he was stuck in the middle of Los Angeles with an annoyed Athena girl, his stomach growling and the clouds up above looking like they were about to rain. Just great.

Annabeth wasn't much help. Jason knew he couldn't blame her, but he found himself doing it anyways. Things were easier when you had someone to blame.

They'd been riding most of the morning until finally, both of them had almost collapsed from hunger and fatigue. From what Jason could gather, Annabeth hadn't slept well. Why, she wouldn't say.

Speaking of not saying...Jason shifted uncomfortably. It was hard to believe but three days into the quest, Annabeth still hadn't even _told_ him about the prophecy. He tried to tell himself that it was because she was preoccupied with other matters but a little voice whispered in his brain that it was otherwise. Annabeth Chase didn't trust him.

"This is useless," Annabeth muttered, interrupting Jason's thoughts. "We've gotten nowhere, we don't have any food, Leo's missing in one of the biggest cities in the world...this quest just isn't fair." Her gray eyes glowered as if daring Jason to question her.

"Don't we have any mortal cash?" Jason asked desperately.

"We did. I brought along a bit. But when I was battling the dracaena, it tore a hole in my backpack. The money's gone now." Annabeth cursed in Ancient Greek. "I should've put it in a better place."

"Mmm..."

The two stood in silence for a little longer before Annabeth sighed.

"Alright, Jason, what is it?"

Jason looked at her in shock. "What do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes impatiently. "You know what I mean! You want to ask me something, don't you?"

"Sort of..." Jason's voice faltered before it came back. "Yeah. I do. About the prophecy..."

Annabeth tensed.

"Could you tell me it?" Looking at her expression, Jason hastily added another word. "Please? Look, Annabeth, we're in this together. How are we supposed to manage this if we don't even know where we're heading? We've made next to no progress and we don't even really know what we're looking for."

The daughter of Athena's face was stony and for a moment, Jason had a flashing image of Reyna who had looked the exact same way. Annabeth took out her knife and for a moment, Jason thought she was going to stab him. Then, her shoulders slumped.

"I guess you're right," she murmured. "Alright. The prophecy isn't clear about...well, about anything really so it's not going to be much help.

"_The truth is entangled within the despair_

_Knowledge of which has vanished in air_

_To be found are four, to be caught are three_

_To be drowned is he beneath the sea_

_The world will clash, the storm will brew_

_The end may soon be unto you"_

Jason stared at Annabeth, who looked back at him sullenly. He felt his stomach sinking and wanted to choke.

"That's cheerful."

Annabeth gripped the reins of her pegasus. "Yeah, whatever." She swung her leg over and mounted the pegasus. "Now let's get going, Lightning Child. We've got a prophecy to fulfill."

* * *

The air crackled with thunder and lightning flashed in the distance. Her footsteps quickened. She wanted to make it to shelter before rain began pouring over here. She could, of course, go to the city that was right next to her, but that would be tricky and honestly speaking, she preferred being outside.

The sound of a branch breaking shook her out of her thoughts. She froze on the spot, melting into the shadows comfortably.

"Stupid wood." A familiar voice cursed. "I wish Leo were here..." There was the sound of more branches snapping. "Annabeth, are you sure we can make a fire when it's about to rain?"

"It's our best shot!" A girl's voice, also strikingly familiar, came through. _Annabeth_, she thought. Could it really be? Her long solo quest had finally come to an end?

Eager to embrace it, she stepped forwards, her foot crunching on dried leaves. Immediately, the air became tense. Someone was moving towards her and she wasn't sure...

In a flash, a gladius was pointed at her throat. At the same moment, she whipped out her dagger and though his gladius was much longer than her weapon, she knocked it away.

The boy looked back at her, stunned. Her whole body shook, whether with fear or anticipation she didn't know. It was a weakness that she couldn't help and couldn't seem to control, but she maintained her composure.

"Reyna?" he croaked. So he remembered her! The thought pleased her more than she cared to say.

"Jason," she noted, her voice almost cold. Her pleasant, happy thoughts had vanished and were replaced with...what? Bitterness? Resentment?

Jason pressed his fingers to his temples as if he was in excruciating pain. "I...I remember you," he stammered. "Not all of it, but lots..."

Reyna allowed herself a small smile. "I guess we've got some catching up to do then."

* * *

Annabeth thought she'd faint when she saw Reyna take out the bread in her backpack. Somehow, the daughter of Bellona had managed to get her hands on a large stock of supplies, enough to last a single demigod a week and three demigods three days or so.

Reyna explained why she was here, her eyes carefully looking back and forth between Jason and Annabeth. At first, Annabeth thought the Roman was jealous, thinking that Jason and Annabeth were boyfriend and girlfriend. But as she looked closer at Reyna's body language, she came to a different conclusion. The look in Reyna's eyes...it wasn't envy, it was suspicion. Caution. Distrust, maybe even betrayal. It confused Annabeth, to the most extent.

Jason listened to Reyna's story, but he seemed almost ill at ease to Annabeth. His fingers were constantly pressing to his temples as he mumbled random words under his breath like an incantation. Occasionally, he winced as if in pain and then his eyes would light up randomly like an insanely happy thought had just struck him.

The storm had moved away from them, heading farther north, which Annabeth was relieved about. As Reyna finished her story, Annabeth couldn't help but feel awed by how the girl had managed herself. Annabeth wasn't sure if she'd be able to survive for so many months on her own, traveling across the western side of the United States in search of friends and allies that seemed to have completely vanished.

For a while, all the demigods could here was the crackling of a fire as they sat awkwardly next to each other.

Annabeth swallowed. She hated to break the silence with such a question, but... "Did...did you see Percy?" she whispered. "The other campers said they hadn't seen him since he went to fight Polybotes, but..." Annabeth was grasping for a bit of hope, a bit of luck.

"Percy Jackson," Reyna mused. "I did not. But many went missing...too many..." She sat up straighter, as if a thought had occurred to her. "Annabeth," the daughter of Bellona said carefully, "the other campers...where are they?"

At first, Annabeth felt dismissed and hot rage burned through her. Her question about Percy had basically been ignored by Reyna and Annabeth didn't take to it kindly. But then her logic kicked in. Reyna was the leader of a massive force of Romans. She couldn't spend her time on one boy, especially one that she'd only known for a few days. More importantly, she had other campers to worry about and she didn't have Annabeth's knowledge on them.

"They're fine," Annabeth said. "We have a secret base in Kansas. I could show you, but..." Annabeth hesitated. "We're on a quest."

Reyna nodded slowly before turning to Jason who looked like he had a migraine as he held his head in his hands. "Jason, are you okay?"

Jason moved his hand to his forehead. "No...I don't know..." he murmured. "I think I should probably lay down for a little bit." He stumbled off a little farther away at the edge of the clearing and collapsed.

Annabeth saw a frown crease Reyna's lips. "What's wrong?"

Reyna sighed. "Jason is...different from how he was when I knew him. I suppose that can't be helped...I haven't seen him for months, more than a year now. But still...I thought..." she trailed off.

Annabeth felt sorry for Reyna. She supposed she could understand...she'd woken up numerous times in cold sweat, dreaming that Percy had become a completely different person, that he didn't care about her anymore.

Reyna stood up, her face grim as she brushed her dark hair to the side. "I'm going to go and check our surroundings...make sure we're alright. I might be able to get some more food as well."

The girl turned and began to walk away.

"You're not alone anymore, you know," Annabeth called. She didn't know why she was suddenly struck by the urge to comfort Reyna but it somehow felt right.

Reyna stopped, before turning around slightly to look back at Annabeth. The reflection of flames danced in her eyes and her expression was softer, sadder. More vulnerable.

"In the end, Annabeth," Reyna said quietly, "we're all alone."

With that, she walked into the forest, not looking back.

* * *

Piper really wished she hadn't chosen to go into the forest.

It was gloomy and dark and the shadows reminded her of more than one of the many ghost stories her father used to tell her to scare her on Halloween. She held her knife in front of her like a light, using it to guide herself. By now, she was so hopelessly lost that she could be going in circles and she wouldn't know.

Piper paused before leaning against a large tree. Moonlight shone through the spaces between the leaves and Piper adjusted her knife in front of her, looking at it carefully.

Instead of her reflection, Piper saw a fire. It crackled quietly, a pretty blonde sitting next to it, poking it with a stick. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts. Her gray eyes had a fierce look to them, as if she was prepared for a battle at any moment, any instant in time. Annabeth.

Another, more familiar blond head could be barely seen in the background. As if reading her thoughts, the knife's view zoomed into a boy, asleep and barely moving in a sleeping bag. Piper's breathing quickened. Jason.

Where were they now?

Piper didn't have much of a chance to think before something sharp prodded her in the back.

"Turn around, and do it slowly," an unfamiliar voice said. Piper swallowed as she turned, her sweaty hand gripping her knife even harder.

Just before she faced her assailant, Piper sped up, her knife whipping at the attacker's face. Her first thought was that whoever it was was genuinely pretty—dark hair framing her face with dark eyes that reminded Piper so much of Annabeth in their seriousness. Her attacker jumped back, her golden sword, similar to the one Jason had, moving in her hand and meeting Piper's knife, blocking it.

Piper's training kicked in and she stepped in closer, drawing her knife downwards and moving it away from the girl's sword. The girl anticipated the move, her sword swinging towards Piper and coming dangerously close to her face, cutting of a part of her brown hair. Piper ducked and attempted to trip the girl with a technique that Annabeth had taught her a few weeks before the Battle of Camp Jupiter. She wasn't skilled at it yet, and it showed as the girl easily dodged and Piper grimaced as she got back up warily.

"Please," Piper said, holding her hands up. "Let's talk." She tried to put as much charmspeak into her voice as possible, even though she was rusty after having not used it in so long. The ferocity in the girl's eyes seemed to dim for a moment before they hardened again.

"Don't try to trick me," the girl spat, whirling around and thrusting her sword at Piper's chest. Piper desperately attempted to intercept it with her knife, but the blow was strong enough to send it clattering to the ground. The sword kept coming towards her.

For a moment, Piper thought the girl was seriously going to impale her. She opened her mouth to try to speak, anything, anything, but her mouth was dry and nothing came out.

The girl looked at her for a few moments, then slowly bent down to pick up her knife. She examined it, frowning at the Greek lettering as she attempted to decipher it.

"Katoptris," she murmured. "You're definitely a demigod and you almost certainly didn't get this from any old dumpsite." Her steely gaze returned to Piper's face. "Why are you out here alone?"

Piper swallowed. "Look, I can explain..."

The girl shook her head. "Not here," she said, her sword receding a bit, allowing Piper some room to breathe. "Come with me. We'll talk with my..." she hesitated. "My acquaintances."

Piper didn't feel at all eager to meet this girl's acquaintances, but she had a feeling that this girl wasn't about to take no for an answer. So, trying (and failing) to build up her courage, Piper walked with the girl deeper into the forest.

* * *

Reyna walked behind the girl, who glanced backwards every few seconds to make sure she was still there.

"Take a left now," Reyna instructed the girl, who moved obediently to the left. It wasn't like she had much of a choice with a sword being pointed at her back.

The girl was pretty, a little shorter than Reyna, but very pretty, sort of like an Aphrodite girl. She was a decent fighter, which made Reyna wonder about her lineage a bit, but there were always exceptions. If Reyna had learned anything, it was that you didn't trust others. At least, not when you were under attack.

The girl came to a stop in front of several bushes that concealed the clearing. "Through here?"

Reyna nodded. "Go on."

The girl pushed through the bushes, wincing slightly as a few branches caught on her tattered sleeves. Her uneven brown hair bounced up and down and Reyna noticed with satisfaction that she'd taken out a decent chunk on her right side.

"Jason, Annabeth, I found this girl in the woods...I..." Reyna stopped, frowning. "What's wrong?"

Annabeth was staring at the two of them like she'd seen a ghost. "Reyna..." Annabeth said slowly. "She's not an enemy."

Reyna felt uncomfortable, like a little child being told to go on an errand by herself for the first time only to come back with the wrong item. Reyna had never felt the need to prove herself to others before, just to herself, and the situation made her feel uneasy.

"Who is she?"

Before Annabeth could answer, Jason did it for her. The son of Jupiter ran before Reyna's eyes, faster than she'd seen him run in her life. He embraced the girl, hugging her tightly. "My gods," he said, relief and excitement in his voice. "I never thought I'd see you again."

Reyna's throat tightened. He hadn't acted like that when she'd met him again a couple of hours ago. It dawned on her. Jason and the girl...they...

The two broke apart, Jason's hands on the girl's shoulders, looking at her in a way that reminded Reyna painfully of how, for a brief time, he used to look at her. Then he smiled, shook his head, and hugged her once more.

It took Jason a minute to realize that both Reyna and Annabeth were watching, waiting to see what would happen, and he stopped in embarrassment, moving away from the girl. Reyna wished that he wasn't smiling.

"Reyna...this is Piper." Was that a guilty look she saw flash across his face? "Piper, say hello to Reyna."

* * *

Author's Note:

So yes, Jason is a bit obsessive about the "Romans do not fail" part but I'm trying to give the dude more character.

This was originally supposed to be two chapters but about halfway in I realized that I really didn't have enough material for this to be a standalone chapter so I combined two chapters instead.

Juggling two stories might be harder than I thought it would be (though it's partially because I waste time). Wish me good luck!

Please, please review!


	7. Midnight

Author's Note:

I'm writing things left and right right now...just published a chapter of Forever Young and already getting started on this...I remember the days when I could afford to not jump immediately onto a chapter. :P

This chapter took me forever to write, partially because midterms are coming up here and work is piling on quicker than ever. Wish me good luck!

For those of you who haven't read it, might I recommend reading my other story, _Forever Young_ as well? It's about Percy waking up from a 75 year coma looking exactly the same and trying to find out exactly what's happened to everything he used to call his life.

As a forewarning...a lot of you are going to want to kill me after this chapter. So, um, I'm gonna be hiding in a corner somewhere before you start pulling out the knives.

Enjoy!

* * *

Leo woke up blearily to sunlight streaming in from a window. "What?" he murmured. His right hip hurt as he moved under the sheets.

"Hush, _joven_," a woman's voice soothed. She pressed a cool cloth to his head.

Leo felt his breath catch in his throat. "Mom?" he croaked.

"No, _joven_," the woman replied. Leo's vision was blurred as he reached out with his hand to touch the woman's face but she faded away.

The next time he forced his eyes open, there was no one in the room. Leo pulled himself up and was shocked to discover a set of bandages on his hip and left arm. He put his right hand to his face, pushing his hair back. He didn't remember anything of what had happened last night. Biting his lip, he gingerly swung his legs over the side of the bed. Leo stood up warily, half thinking he might collapse randomly. To his relief, his injuries honestly didn't hurt that badly. Heck, they probably wouldn't hurt at all after a day if he had ambrosia...

Walking into the main living room, Leo stopped as he saw an old man leaning back into a comfy looking sofa and reading a newspaper. The man shifted his glasses up, glancing over his newspaper at Leo as he did so.

"Finally awake, huh?" the man said gruffly. He stood up creakily, reminding Leo a little bit of Festus the dragon. "Maya's in the kitchen. Been fussing about you all day."

The man's last comment sounded slightly annoyed but Leo knew from the twinkle in his eyes that he didn't mean it.

"Breakfast, Papa!" Maya called from the kitchen.

"Would you hand me that cane, boy?" The man motioned towards a stick in the corner Leo hadn't noticed before then. It was roughly made and Leo wondered if the man had made it himself. Leo eased his way over and came back with the cane which the man used to help himself into the kitchen.

Maya was setting down two omelets when she saw Leo walk in. "Oh, hello!" she smiled. Her brown eyes were warm and Leo thought achingly of his mother when he saw them. "It's nice to see you awake, _joven_. What would you like for breakfast?"

"Um..." Leo looked around nervously. He was hungry...very hungry (he didn't remember the last time he'd eaten), but at the same time he knew he needed to get back to his friends. "Just a slice of toast or something, that'll be fine."

Maya smiled as she slid two slices of bread into the toaster. She sat down with a fried egg that made Leo almost feel like drooling. "I never knew...what was your name? Where are your parents? Do you have someone you'd like us to call?"

"Erm, my name's Leo Valdez and my parents..." Leo hesitated before answering. "My parents are away. It's fine, don't call them."

Maya looked at him with care. "Are you certain? I'm not sure at all how you were hurt..."

The toast popped out of the toaster, sparing Leo the need to come up with an answer. Maya hastily stood up and went to grab a plate.

The man, Papa, or whatever Leo was going to call him, tapped his cane on the ground. When Leo turned to see what he was doing, he pointed with his cane at Maya. "She's a dear, Maya is. Don't know what I'd do without her. She really shouldn't be here, should be in a nice big house with mah son, but he passed away..."

Maya's face flickered with sadness before she laughed. "Oh, Papa, please." She set the plate of toast in front of Leo with a bottle of jam and some peanut butter. "I'm sure Leo doesn't feel the need to listen to all of this."

They ate in silence for a while before Maya turned to Leo. "You're still resting up. You could spend some time here until you're well or your parents show up." She gave a warm smile at him.

Leo stared at his plate. What to do? Should he go look for his friends, or...or...

A sense of rebellion came over him. No, he wouldn't. He needed some time alone. Some time away.

Before he knew it, he found himself saying yes.

* * *

It was an awkward night.

Annabeth felt the tension between Piper and Reyna, as well as Jason. All three had tossed and turned in the night...or at least, Piper and Jason had. Reyna had stalked off after finding Piper and slept just out of sight of the campfire. When Annabeth woke up and saw Reyna starting the fire again though, she could visibly see the tired and haggard eyes that marked an uneasy night.

As for Annabeth, she'd slept surprisingly well considering everything. That alone in itself made her nervous, like the calm before a storm. Still, she should be grateful. One of them had to be awake in case of any monster attacks.

"You don't look like you slept well," Annabeth commented as she got up and walked towards Reyna. The Roman looked up as she saw the daughter of Athena approaching her.

"Yes, well, it's been hard on all of us." Reyna lay a small twig on the fire, blowing on it slightly so that it would catch. "Where is this quest going? What exactly are you searching for?"

For some reason, Annabeth felt she could trust Reyna. Without knowing it, Annabeth told Reyna of the prophecy that Rachel had given them and how they were searching for four demigods: Piper, Percy, Frank, and Hazel.

Reyna seemed to temporarily forget her troubles as she heard the last two names before her face darkened. "I do not know where Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque ended up. Last I saw them, before Gaea's army's overwhelmed us, they were fighting alongside each other at the front of the battleline. If they are still alive, they are likely prisoners."

Her gaze shifted back to the weary look it had before. "Will you wake Jason and Piper?" she asked. "I will go fetch the horses." Reyna's dark eyes pierced Annabeth's, making her feel insecure. Reyna was very pretty and her dark hair was worth being jealous of. She was also smart...and royal and an amazing leader.

"Of course," Annabeth said, tucking a loose stand of hair behind her ear. "Are you sure you don't want to wake-"

"No!" Reyna said sharply. Annabeth winced. She knew that was a touchy subject and should've avoided it.

"No," Reyna said more calmly. "It will take time for Jason to remember who I am and I do not know Piper well at all. It is better that you wake them."

With that, she turned around and headed into the forest.

* * *

Hemera yawned. It was dull. But at least, finally, everything was in place. Things were going according to plan.

She held her palm in front of her facing the ground and slowly raised it, muttering in Ancient Greek. Distorted hands and claws began to make their way to the surface. In a few seconds, Hemera faced at least thirty of hideous creatures. A clatter of sound rose from the clearing.

"Hush." The monsters all fell silent. "Attack half an hour before sunset." The monsters seemed to nod before fading away, leaving no trace behind.

Hemera rippled and vanished.

* * *

"This is pointless."

All of them had been wanting to say it, but it was Piper who spoke up first. She jabbed her knife, Katoptris, into the nearest tree trunk angrily. "That _idiot_ repair boy just had to get himself separated from the group, didn't he?"

"Piper, it wasn't all his fault," Jason said halfheartedly. They'd been through a similar conversation three times.

"There's no use in complaining," Reyna muttered. Piper shot a glare at the daughter of Bellona, which Reyna gladly returned. Jason gulped and slunk back towards where Annabeth was watching quietly.

"Could you...help me with those two?" he whispered.

Annabeth shrugged. "They're your job to deal with."

Jason groaned. "I don't know what to do. Maybe if I remembered everything about Reyna it would help clear things up..."

"Or it could make things worse," Annabeth said helpfully.

Jason sighed. "Annabeth..."

"Sorry," Annabeth apologized quickly. "I was feeling a little..." she searched around for the word. "I don't know. Moody, maybe."

Jason looked up at the sky. "...I wish Leo were here," he said quietly. "He'd distract us. He's good at that."

For the first time in a long time, Jason actually missed Leo. His friend was well...a friend. And with the amount of estrogen in the forest, Jason needed a friend. Not a girlfriend or a possible girlfriend or someone else's girlfriend who was slightly annoyed with him. Just a friend. A wave of guilt swept over him. He had been the one to drive Leo away. What if something had happened? No real leader would do that.

Percy Jackson wouldn't.

Jason was jealous of Percy. He really wished...

He should shut up now. All there was was the job ahead of him. Find Leo and continue on with the quest.

All Jason wanted was for things to return to the way they used to be.

* * *

Piper was relieved when Jason finally suggested a break.

She knew she was acting like an overprotective jerk. A stuck up Aphrodite kid maybe. Reyna's impression of her certainly hadn't improved. She felt an urge to talk to Annabeth, but her friend seemed so distant from her so Piper discarded the idea. Maybe it was better to be alone.

Reyna passed around a bottle of water, which they all took turns sipping from. Piper felt like saying something but restrained herself and allowed the awkward silence to continue.

Annabeth, on the other hand, was studying a map that Reyna had drawn of the town nearest them. "Maybe Leo isn't in the woods at all," she murmured. "I don't know where he'd go though..."

"Leo's smart," Jason said. "He'll know better than to get caught."

"We hope," Piper muttered under her breath.

Jason shot a look at Piper, who blinked as if she could hardly believe she'd said what she'd just said. "I...I'm going to go and see if there's water nearby," Piper said awkwardly, standing up and hurrying away.

How could she just be so cruel to her friend? Piper shook her head. She almost wanted to cry. What was with these mood swings? Definitely not that time of the month, not yet. She just felt this urge to be annoying and annoyed and...tired. Maybe that was it. Maybe she hadn't been getting enough sleep.

There were voices further up ahead. Piper frowned. Her friends were to the left, not the right. For a moment, Piper wondered if she should go back and get help. But what if the people or whatever it was ahead of her left or disappeared? They'd just end up doing nothing.

Piper slipped behind a tree and inched up closer and closer until she stood in an empty clearing. Piper frowned. There was no sign of any movement on the ground, no scruff marks, no trampled leaves. No sign that any living thing had ever passed through there. Yet at the same time, Piper felt a cold wind pass over her. She looked behind her shoulder apprehensively, but no one was there.

Maybe she should've been braver, but Piper was tired of being brave. She hurried back to the group at a speed only a little slower than a jog.

* * *

_Creak. Creak._

Leo hadn't been lazy in a long time.

He sat idly on a rocking bench in the backyard of Maya and Papa's house, staring at a hummingbird making its way through the flowers. Leo almost felt like he wasn't thinking at all, like he was completely empty and was just staring pointlessly for no reason. His mind felt blank.

It was sort of nice.

Maya and Papa were normal. Not only that, they were normal and accepting and they didn't care where Leo came from or who he was. They just cared about him. They didn't rely on him to do a job that Leo barely understood and they didn't mind it when Leo made mistakes, like when Leo accidentally mixed up sugar and salt when he was trying to help Maya fry another omelet for Papa. No, Maya had just laughed and Papa had let out a snort, one that made Leo feel sheepish but not embarrassed.

He felt guilty, not doing anything, but Leo tried to convince himself he deserved a break. After everything that had been happening these past few days as a half-blood...

Leo cursed under his breath. He'd almost forgotten. Was he putting Maya and Papa in danger because of who he was? He didn't want to be attacked by monsters and least of all didn't want them to be attacked. But...

It seemed so peaceful in the small cottage. Leo managed to convince himself that it wouldn't matter. He'd leave tomorrow morning, first thing.

_Creak. Creak._

* * *

As the day continued though, Leo began to doubt his decision. He'd abandoned his friends—they were surely searching for him and they would search most likely in vain. Moreover, he was troubled by the fact that he didn't remember what had happened to him last night. He hadn't had a head injury. So why exactly were his memories of that specific moment gone?

Maya sat him and Papa down for an early dinner. It was simple but fragrant and Leo's stomach growled. Maya was one of the best chefs he'd ever seen.

"Why do you two eat dinner so early?" Leo questioned curiously as Maya brought a bowl of hot soup in front of him.

"The days are longer now and Papa generally retires early," Maya explained. "I also really like watching the sunset as we eat. There's so much light in the dining room that it feels like a story in a fairytale."

Leo smiled as he spooned up some soup. He was lifting it to his mouth when he saw something dart around the garden in the corner of his eye.

What?

He was just about to convince himself it was nothing when he saw it again, this time zipping to the front yard. Leo's eyes narrowed. His hand crept instinctively towards his tool belt.

Leo put the spoon next to the bowl. Maya looked at him curiously. "Is something wrong, Leo?"

"No, no, nothing at all," Leo managed to look decently calm. "I forgot something out on the front porch. It'll only take me a minute."

Maya nodded and Leo had to force himself not to run to the door. For the first time that day, his ADHD was tingling, urging him to run. Leo opened the door quickly and as soon as he stepped outside he broke into a run.

Leo reached the front gates of the house and cautiously walked outside of it until he was only a few feet away from where the forest began. Surveying his surroundings carefully, he heard nothing.

Then a growl sounded. Leo whipped his head around to find a creature with shaggy brown fur and silver eyes. It had the body of a buffalo, the wings of an owl, and the legs of a cheetah. The monster pawed at the ground and shorted, blue clouds rising from its nostrils.

"Easy now," Leo said, slowly backing away from the buffowtah (as Leo had creatively decided to name it). "There's a good...buffowtah." The name sounded even stupider when Leo said it out loud. "Now, just return to wherever you came from. Go home to Mommy!" Leo suggested.

The buffowtah blew blue smoke from its nostrils again.

Just as Leo was about to turn and run for his life, he heard a loud cawing behind him. In surprise, Leo didn't even both to think about the buffowtah, turning his attention, instead, to the creature behind.

It was large and vulture like, but at the very end of its wings, Leo saw claws. The monster's eyes were like pits to the Underworld and Leo scrambled away in fear.

All around him, the air shimmered and monsters began to appear. Leo spun around wildly. He couldn't defend himself from so many monsters. And...Maya and Papa. They'd given him shelter and cared without judgement. He had to defend them too.

Leo dug into his tool belt desperately for some inspiration, but he couldn't even conjure breath mints. He stared all around him until the world was spinning and he wanted to fall down.

And he resorted to the last thing he knew.

Flames flickered over his palms and traveled up his arms. The monsters scrambled backwards in fear as the flames licked the grass, the green bursting into a firework of red. Heat engulfed Leo and sweat trickled down the back of his shirt.

Leo was on the ground. He felt lightheaded and the world was still spinning. The last thing he remembered for blacking out was the smell of smoke.

* * *

It was the heat that Annabeth noticed first. Then came the smoke.

"Over there!" Annabeth yelled, pointing. Jason, Piper, and Reyna spun around and turned their gaze to where Annabeth was pointing at. A cloud of smoke rose, bigger than any normal house or cottage, and the four demigods began to run at the same moment.

As Annabeth leaped over a log that had crashed in the middle of the road, a wave of heat washed over her, almost knocking her backwards. The smoke, which was a dark grey now, choked her and she doubled over, coughing and leaning against a tree. A quick glance told her her friends were in much the same position. Reyna had covered her nose and mouth with a cloth (where she'd gotten it, Annabeth didn't know) and Annabeth quickly followed suit.

Struggling, Annabeth forced herself to walk towards where the flames were highest. This wasn't right. Annabeth knew that Leo didn't have great control over his powers, but this...this was chaotic. The fire would burn the entire forest down if they didn't stop it.

Annabeth felt desperate. If Percy was here, he'd find water. But the nearest water was the ocean and there was nothing Annabeth had to contain in. Moreover, the smoke was getting thicker and Annabeth waved her hand in front of her in a vain attempt to clear it. She could barely see her fingers anymore.

Out of the corner of her eye, Annabeth saw a glimmer. It was a knife of some sort and Annabeth dodged instinctively. Reyna appeared there, her knife embedded in a tree behind where Annabeth had been. Reyna looked at Annabeth in horror before returning to the squint she had previously adopted. "Thought...you were monster," Reyna managed to choke out. Annabeth simply nodded. She didn't have the energy to speak. She didn't want to.

The sound of dull footsteps on ground sounded nearby, which Annabeth took to mean that Jason and Piper were alright.

"Have to...leave," Annabeth panted. "Can't breathe..."

Reyna grabbed Annabeth's arm and put it around her neck. Usually, Annabeth would be ashamed by it—the fact that it made her feel weak and useless. But right now, choking in endless smoke, Annabeth didn't care.

The two girls stumbled a few steps before Reyna tripped over a rock and almost fell to the ground. The heat grew stronger and Annabeth could hear the roar of fire behind her. This time, it was Annabeth who was helping Reyna up as she hauled the daughter of Bellona to her feet. Reyna didn't say anything but simply nodded and the two began to continue to make their way.

Annabeth had been in many wars, but she had not ever been surrounded with fire. Fire spread faster than any plague and it could not be killed or stopped without aid. It was crueler and deadlier than anything, Annabeth decided, because it didn't choose its enemies. It was alive but empty and soulless as it knew only to devour and never to return.

Reyna was clutching her midsection at this point and finally, she collapsed next to a tree. Annabeth didn't want to stop—she could already see the flames, they were only a little bit away from them, but Annabeth was unwilling to abandon the girl who had helped her.

As Annabeth knelt down, she spotted a patch of blood on Reyna's shirt. Quickly, Annabeth lifted Reyna's shirt a few inches, revealing a long, hastily bandaged cut. There was no telling how deep it was or whether or not it was infected.

"You kept this a secret," Annabeth said in disbelief. Reyna gasped for breath as she nodded. Suddenly, heat was on Annabeth's back and she flinched and moved away by habit. Reyna jerked her leg away from where it lay, her pants burned and a large burn in its place. Reyna's leg twitched uncontrollably.

Annabeth knew she would never be able to carry Reyna, but she had to try. The flames were almost at their feet. Annabeth grabbed the straps of Reyna's backpack (it was almost completely in tatters) along with a fistful of Reyna's shirt and heaved. Reyna's shoe got caught on something and a rock scraped most of her foot as they passed by. The Roman didn't even cry out, though her eyes sharpened with pain. Finally, Reyna's eyes slid shut as she faded into unconsciousness.

Still, the fire burned and Annabeth finally sank on her knees. She couldn't save herself or Reyna. The prophecy was wrong. She would die here.

She could hear the roar and the blaze of the flames behind her...no. Annabeth looked up weakly. That wasn't the sound of flames—

A wave of water washed over her and Annabeth was so surprised she forgot how to swim. For a brief moment, terror seized her, before the water sank into the ground, leaving only random puddles.

The fire had burned down much of the forest and Annabeth spat out salt from her mouth. Salt. Salt water. The ocean. As she raised her eyes to look towards the horizon, Annabeth could see the sea. The sea and a dark figure walking towards them.

Her left ankle hurt and Annabeth knew without looking that she had been burned in several places, but her heart beat faster than it had in the past year. She stood up, shifting her weight to her right foot. In the fading sun, Annabeth could just about make out the dark black hair and when the person turned ever so slightly, she could see eyes, green as the sea itself.

It started as a limp, then it became a steadier walk, then a jog, until finally, the daughter of Athena broke into a full out run. The pain in her body, the sorrow, everything melted away until all there was in front of her was the stretch of land. She soared as she ran and in a second, a second that lasted as long as eternity itself, she was in his arms. She cried and sobbed like an Aphrodite girl as she clung onto him. Joy bubbled inside of her and she wanted to call him an idiot, wanted to slap him for leaving her, but at that very moment, all she could do was cry. The smell of him, the smell of the salt and the sea and the warmth of his body welled up fresh memories and tears. She could hardly bring herself to say his name, the name that had been on the tip of her tongue for a year now, the name that she had been waiting for and would always wait for.

"Percy."

And through the silence after the fire, all she heard were three words.

"Who are you?"


	8. Hallucinations

The fire crackled and Annabeth poked it with a stick. Just a few hours ago, this little source of light and heat had been the source of panic and distress. She pushed a few more leaves into the fire to keep it kindling, knowing that at the stage the fire was burning, it would be pretty much useless. Still, she watched intently as the leaves curled up as they caught with flames. They blackened just as their stems began to light and the leaves that Annabeth had thrown in were completely gone.

Gone. Like so much else.

She hesitated before looking towards her left. Just a few feet away, he lay there. Her boyfriend. Or what remained of him anyways.

She hadn't noticed it at first, but he looked terrible. His skin was pale like he hadn't been in the sunlight for quite a while and he was thin, almost gaunt. He'd flinched when she'd first hugged him, though she hadn't felt it at the time and when she looked at his face, there was a hollow look to him. His green eyes were the same, but they were unseeing, unknowing. He didn't know her.

She wasn't sure if she could take that.

Annabeth quickly turned her head towards where Percy was sleeping. He shifted in his sleep, murmuring words that she couldn't quite hear. She wanted desperately to hear them, to crawl up next to him, to hug him and to comfort him. But...she didn't know how. She couldn't.

He wasn't Percy. It was like everything that had made Percy the guy he was had been sucked out of him. How could he have amnesia? No one from Camp Jupiter had brought it up. For a moment, she wanted to lash out at them, but hesitated.

Percy began to twitch. It started slowly at first, almost like he was just shifting his weight, but it began to happen more frequently until his whole body trembled. Ananbeth's eyes widened and instinctively, she began to make her way towards him. Her left ankle hurt (it had only been badly twisted but was nearing a sprain after her sprint towards Percy) but she managed to get there.

"Percy," she said, shaking him a little. "Wake up."

He tossed and turned and Annabeth could see beads of sweat rolling down his forehead and neck. He muttered phrases that she didn't quite understand. Watching Percy acting so helpless...it made Annabeth ache everywhere. What had happened to him down there? Why?

She didn't know whether she was asking why had this happened to him or to her.

Percy cried out sharply in pain and he clutched his sides as if something was squeezing them. "Help," he croaked. "Grover...Annabeth..somebody...help."

Annabeth wanted to cry. If there was any time, ever...it was now. "Percy, I'm right here," she soothed. He'd said her name, hadn't he? Was it just his dream or did he really remember? She was afraid to find out. "Percy, wake up. It's me, I'm here!" She leaned over him, willing him with her eyes to wake up and look at her.

"No, can't...won't..." Percy cried out again, shaking uncontrollably. His skin was cool and clammy and Annabeth held up her hand to slap him in the face. Before her hand came down though, she couldn't help but wonder. What if it did more harm than good? What if...what if...what if he never...

She swallowed and brought her palm down. Percy's body froze, then relaxed and he mumbled another word before he fell back into a deeper sleep.

Annabeth kneeled down next to him, her hands on her legs. The tears started slowly at first, rolling one after another down her cheeks until they began to speed up. Her shoulders began to shake with silent sobs and she cried.

* * *

Leo couldn't sleep.

They had found him unconscious near Maya and Papa's house. The house was safe—thank the gods. At least he didn't have two more lives bloodied by his hands. Though whether or not they would ever be the same was a different matter.

Thank the gods indeed. He wished he had died in the fire, that he had been choked by his own creation, that he wasn't still here. Still living when so many of the others were gone and dead.

He looked from the distance at the crackling fire. Annabeth had left it to tend to Percy, whose anguished cries Leo could hear even from his place behind the trees. No one had blamed him outright for the accident...no one but himself. Still, Leo could see it in the eyes of Jason and Piper when they had told him what happened. He could see the judgement in Reyna's posture and her attitude towards him—yet another girl he'd never be able to get. Leo had caused the accident. He'd caused Jason and Piper's near deaths, the re-opening of a wound that might cause further problems for Reyna, Annabeth's ankle, and perhaps worst of all, Percy.

He'd heard so much about the son of Poseidon it was hard to see him like this. Defeated. Helpless. Lost. No, the Percy Jackson Leo had heard of was strong. He carried on, even when no one else did. He was a hero. The one he saw now...the broken one...he wasn't Percy Jackson.

Leo feared that the fire had made Percy worse.

He'd messed up everything. But then again...he always did.

Plan C had messed up. The Plan he had sworn to never use...and he knew why. Today had just proven that all over again. It was time to go back to Plan B, the Plan that never failed, the one that he always used.

Leo took a last glance at the fire and through the corner of his eye, he saw Annabeth kneeling next to Percy. The strong, scary Athena girl looked just as broken and lost as Percy did. Her shoulders quivered and that small gesture settled it.

He wandered into what remained of the forest, not bothering to look back. There wasn't anything left.

* * *

Reyna slept in a tree. She hadn't done it in years, but it was just as comfortable now as it had been then. It was just a tad more difficult to find a tree she could fit in.

She felt uncomfortable with all of the others. They obviously knew each other or had some connection. Jason...he'd changed. Completely. The former praetor was different and Reyna wasn't sure it was for the best.

Maybe she had changed as well.

And Piper...

Reyna would never admit it to the stupid Aphrodite girl, but she was jealous. She'd had a crush on Jason for years...years and years and years. But a true Roman didn't give in to that. She'd tried to cover up her feelings and be the best praetor she had been—which had always been her goal. To be the best. But now she was looking back on her decisions and wondering if in her determination to be the best, she had left the best behind.

Reyna pushed her dark hair up with her right hand. What had she been thinking? Maybe if she'd tried a little harder...Reyna had never been the type to simply reveal her feelings. No, if she did that, all she'd end up doing was destroying everything. Emotions were terribly disastrous and Reyna didn't trust anyone enough to do that. She thought she might've been able to...but that one person had disappeared from her life. No matter how many memories he remembered, he was gone to her forever.

Her eyes shut, enclosing her in darkness and for some unknown reason, Reyna felt panicked. Her eyes snapped back open, and with them, a tear dropped. Reyna stared at the wetness on her shirt for a moment in surprise before closing her eyes and leaning back again.

She didn't want to think about it. Everything had changed.

Even her.

* * *

It was cold.

He blinked open his eyes, his entire body shivering. Looking down, his fingertips were pale and starting to blue. Paler than normal that was—they had been pretty pale for quite a while now.

He shivered as he took in his surroundings. Water. Blue, blue, blue water. For some reason, he felt as if he should appreciate the water, love the water. Love the blue. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. A gut-wrenching pain throbbed deep inside him. He didn't know what it was that he hated about this place, but he hated it with every cell in his body.

An uneasy current swept through him and in mere seconds, the coldness had completely faded away. At first, it was pleasant. But then it grew hotter and hotter, scorching his skin and turning it red. He gasped, opening his mouth as air bubbles escaped, though no sound came from his throat. It felt like someone was slowly roasting him over a fire, taking cruel and unusual pleasure as they watched him slowly but surely die before their eyes.

He closed his eyes, praying for the pain to go away. When he reopened them, a figure stood in front of him.

The figure was covered in seaweed and muck, a disgusting creature. Dimly, he heard him talking to someone or something...what it was he couldn't be sure. He squeezed his eyes open as he looked at the monster that lay ahead of him.

"Welcome back, Percy Jackson." The giant sounded amused as he crouched down, kneeling on one knee before him. "All hail the son of the sea god indeed. Not sure he intended for his son to turn out like this. Somewhat pitiful, is it not?"

The giant used one gigantic fingertip to lift his face up. Percy winced and tried to pull away, but his strength evaporated with the giant's touch. He felt as if his insides were being turned to mush, frozen, boiled, and then the process was repeated. He struggled weakly, only just noticing the bonds that held him to an ancient and dead piece of reef.

The giant seemed to expect no more. "Well, Perseus Jackson, I'm sure you had a good day today. The ice eels and blaze rays should keep you company for a couple hours, but I will be sure to come back and play with you later. Tootles!" The giant waved a few of his thick, meaty fingers as if saying goodbye to a child. Then, he swam off, disappearing into the distance.

Shockingly white eels and intensely red rays circled him. Percy thought he could see pity in some of the creatures' eyes, but in others, he only saw a fierce hunger and desire that scared him.

Fear. Terror. The only thing he knew now.

He closed his eyes. Maybe the pain wouldn't be so bad this time.

Maybe.

* * *

The next time his eyes shot open, he could tell he wasn't in such a bad condition. It must've been earlier...earlier...Percy struggled to remember what he'd been doing earlier and why he was there. He didn't even remember what this was. A dream? A memory? It felt like that should be right, but Percy had no recollection.

The monster, the terrible one that had appeared in his dreams earlier, gently landed on the dead coral. Even his presence made Percy tremble more than he'd have liked. Sweat broke from his forehead as he wondered what would happen that day.

The giant shot Percy a disgusted look. "Mother Gaea has informed me that if I push you further, you may not live to fulfill her wishes," he muttered. Relief flooded through Percy, though thoughts pierced his mind. Who was Mother Gaea? Why did she sound so familiar? Why did ice run through Percy's blood when he heard her name?

"So today will simply be psychological." The giant snapped his fingers and Percy was suddenly overwhelmed with a deep desire to sink into a deep sleep. Something in the back of his mind—probably an instinct from a long time ago, screamed at him to not let his eyes close. Yet, despite his will, Percy felt his eyelids begin to droop and his head begin to loll as he sank to the bottom of the reef.

"Percy?"

As quickly as his eyes had shut, they now snapped open. Percy spun around in circles. He was in a white circular room, dressed completely in loose fitting white clothes. On the walls were scuff marks, like someone had been through a fight. For some reason, something told Percy that it was he who had made the marks.

A door, one Percy hadn't seen before, slid open. There stood a man with furry legs...a...a satyr. Or was it faun? Percy couldn't really tell the difference. Still, this satyr or faun looked familiar. He had sad eyes, eyes that made Percy wonder what had happened. In his hand, he held reed pipes that looked like they had been abandoned and forgotten for an extended period of time.

"Percy," the satyr called. He simply stood there, before extending a hand towards Percy. "Come on, we'll get you out of here. We're coming."

The anxiety and worried creases disappeared from Percy's face. He trusted this satyr and he took a step towards him.

"Is it really you?" he asked.

The satyr simply smiled, as if wondering at Percy's stupidity. "Come on," he beckoned. "We've got to hurry."

Percy picked up his pace, walking almost in a trancelike state towards the satyr until he was at a light jog. It was like in a movie. Percy felt time slow down, like he was running in slow motion, but he didn't care in the least. Just as he was about to reach the doorway though, the door closed and the satyr disappeared from his view.

"Grover!" Time resumed normal pace and Percy slammed into the wall. Dazed, he stumbled and fell backwards. Who was Grover? Was that the satyr's name? He didn't know it.

"Come back!" His voice sounded pitiful, like a child crying out for help. He stood up and banged on the wall where the satyr had been for a little bit before sinking to his knees. The satyr was gone.

"Percy?"

Percy whirled around. An oddly familiar blonde smiled at him cockily from a previously unseen doorway. She smirked at him but extended her hand. "Come on, Seaweed Brain," she smiled. "Get your act together."

The tension went out of his shoulders as he began to run again. Yet time slowed and by the time he reached the wall, she was gone.

Percy slammed into the wall, crying. He didn't know why, but his tears flowed out of him without restriction. Voices began to crowd in his mind...the satyr, the girl, people he knew somewhere in his gut were his friends though he wasn't sure who they were or why. He ran around the room, which suddenly spun away into darkness, the voices in his head fading until there was nothing. Percy cried out, screaming names he didn't remember the purpose of. Finally, he collapsed on the ground, sobbing, while a deep, menacing laughter filled his ears until the sound began to eat away at him from within...

A sudden jolt seemed to bring the nightmare to an end and relief washed over him as everything faded to black.

* * *

Jason wondered what home was.

For the longest time, Jason thought he knew what home had been. His memories were starting to come to him more steadily now, though he'd decided to keep everything quiet from Piper and Reyna. In fact, he felt like he had all of the pieces of the puzzle now.

The only piece that was missing was him. Not Jason the praetor or Jason the hero of Olympus. No, the only piece missing was him right here and right now.

Who was he? And where was home?

From his memories, Jason knew that for the longest time, home had been Camp Jupiter. Camp had been where he had formed his friendships and his families, and for a brief time, what felt like a future romance. He remembered happy times and joyful chatter, parties and celebrations, victories and defeats. He had felt at home in Camp Jupiter.

And yet...ever since Jason had arrived at Camp Half-Blood, he felt a sense of happiness and peace and even belonging. He wouldn't go as far to call it home, but Jason had a feeling that if he stayed, if he stayed...it someday would become home. And Piper...Jason still felt a bit confused about his feelings, but he knew he definitely cared for Piper.

Where was home? With his heart or his soul? His past or his possible future?

He was tired. Tired of having to choose. He closed his eyes as he thought a little more. What he'd give to be able to not have to choose, to be able to combine two places he loved and wanted into one. Was it selfish? Jason didn't think so. He wanted to try to make something work for himself, just once. And it couldn't be that greedy of an idea, could it? Even some of the gods wanted it...though considering how they often acted.

Jason sighed and as he shifted his weight to his left side, he shifted his thoughts to Leo. Jason had felt mad at the boy in a confusing manner during this entire quest. It was almost involuntary, the way that he reacted and the way that Leo talked. It didn't seem like him at all. Jason didn't know what to think of his friend anymore. Ever since the battle, Leo had been growing more distant from him than ever. The thought made Jason feel guilty. He hadn't been a good friend. Not to Leo, not to Annabeth, not to Piper, and not to Reyna. In the end, he was still the one to blame. He was still the leader—it was just natural that way.

Or maybe not.

Maybe Jason wasn't a leader because of his dad or his genes or something like that. Maybe it wasn't because he just was. As far back as Jason could remember, he had wanted to take charge, wanted to be responsible, wanted to lead and because of that, he always lead. His father had helped, but it was Jason who had made everything in his life that way.

Maybe it was because Jason was afraid of losing control. Of losing stability, stability he had long lost since he left his sister, Thalia, behind.

Maybe it was time to give up control. And for a moment, Jason did as he fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

Never go to sleep angry. That's what her father had always told her when she was younger.

Just stay awake and plot your revenge.

The problem was, Piper didn't have any revenge to plot. She hated being the jealous girlfriend, but she couldn't help but feel threatened. It made her feel a little sick inside.

Not for the first time, Piper wanted to hate her mother. Because of her mother, she was a sick, shallow Aphrodite girl who didn't want her boyfriend to even look at another girl. Piper couldn't really control the jealousy she felt inside. She hated it—she really did—but she didn't know how to correct it. Helplessly, Piper looked towards the fire. Annabeth was laying on Percy's chest and Piper felt a twinge of envy. She really shouldn't have—Percy didn't even remember his girlfriend anymore—but the way she lay there, so comfortable with just being with him made Piper wish for...for something more. Jason was perfect in every sense but...Piper hesitated as she sifted her mind for the word. He didn't seem to be the type that she could be so at ease with. There was always something holding back...

Piper shook her head. She couldn't act like this! All her life, Piper had been rebelling—rebelling for attention, rebelling against her nature, rebelling to be normal. If that made any sense at all. Piper buried her head in her hands and let out a muffled cry of frustration.

Reyna...Piper didn't hate her. But...

Reyna was beautiful. Beautiful and powerful and smart and pretty and sophisticated and stoic and proud and beautiful. Piper was maybe a fifth of that. Reyna was a leader. She was just. She wasn't a sick Aphrodite girl who let her emotions get in the way of her life.

Maybe part of her did hate Reyna. Because Reyna...it was like the girl was the person Piper could never be. Despite everything they had been through, Jason had been blocked off from her. Their relationship had started from a fantasy dream of Piper's. What kind of relationship was that? Sometimes she saw a glimpse of sadness in his eyes...and she didn't know what it was. And if knew, he never told her.

Piper had a feeling that Reyna had been closer to Jason than that. Their relationship hadn't formed over months...it had formed over years. Piper bit her lip in frustration.

She wanted to talk to Annabeth. Badly. In the months before they had arrived at Camp Jupiter in Leo's warship, the two had grown steadily closer. Piper admired the blonde, more than she thought she could admire anybody. In a way, Annabeth was similar to Reyna—beautiful, smart, proud, and powerful. There had always been a sort of sadness to Annabeth that Piper occasionally saw in Jason. Piper had always assumed that it was because Percy was no longer there. Still...seeing them together...was it harder to not know and be apart or to be so close yet so inconceivably far away?

Piper winced as she thought of the times she had chatted idly about Jason and the project and things to Annabeth. She had always seemed to take it well—remarking on certain details of the _Argo II_ and muttering under her breath about what she'd need to fix tomorrow...but Piper had never noticed the other things that, in her memory, now became clear. The sadness in Annabeth's voice, for instance, when she seemingly cheerfully replied to Piper's questions about relationships. The wistfulness her eyes held as she listened to Piper talk about Jason. The sorrow in her light sighs as she looked at the ocean.

Piper had been absolutely, positively selfish. That was what characterized the children of Aphrodite. Piper had always prided herself in being selfless, but she'd never noticed that putting out that sort of image had destroyed one of her best friends—one of her only friends.

Was love really all...all that?

She was a daughter of Aphrodite. She was supposed to love love. But...every problem it seemed was caused by love in some way or another. Piper had never doubted her mother in this way before, but now she questioned everything she had once held to be true.

Piper lay down, covering herself with a slightly tattered jacket and shivered ever so slightly in the cool night air. She didn't want to think about it. She just...didn't.

* * *

Author's Note:

I am not a fan of writing Piper. Actually, I am not a Piper fan at all.

I'm trying to add to Piper's character and give her some more emotion and feeling other than the girl who carries around a knife and is always angsting about her relationship. Well, okay, that's not completely true. Piper in this chapter _is_ angsting about her relationship, but she's seeing more of the flaws in her boyfriend which I think, for Jason, really need to come out. If Piper's fatal flaw is anything, I think it should be jealousy or at least being emotional. She's still an Aphrodite at heart and heck, I'd be a bit jealous too if my boyfriend's old girl friend showed up, disarmed me, and made my boyfriend seem confused about his feelings. I've tried to highlight the indecisiveness that people feel in a relationship. I hope I did okay.

As for Jason...again, adding character. I think of Jason as a character who is so high and above everyone else that he gets so caught up in it he feels the need for control. Later on, I want him to realize that being the son of Zeus isn't always just about control, but also about being able to let free and fly.

Please review!


	9. The Early Hours

Author's Note:

I'm going to update _Forever Young_, I promise, but inspiration for this story just called.

Have you ever had a relative tell you that you're not as good as your sibling pretty blatantly? (and I mean, literally saying "you're not as good as [sibling's name].") Well, that's been happening to me...and it sucks. I mean, it hurts. And to not only say they are better than you when you were their age but also to say that they will be more successful than you in life?

I'm sorry, I'm not exactly super happy at the moment. To the story we go.

* * *

Jason blinked in the bright sunlight, squinting and groaning as he got up. He hadn't slept well at all last night. Blearily, he wondered who'd been guarding the fire last night. He'd taken one of the middle shifts but he'd been so tired that a monster could've been breathing down his neck and he wouldn't have noticed. It seemed like they'd survived the night though, which was a pretty good sign.

"Hey," Jason looked over at Piper, who was cleaning her knife. He could see the bags under her eyes, an obviously drained look on her face. There was a long gash along her left arm, probably one that she'd earned after Leo's fire last night. Jason tried to feel some form of contempt at Leo, but felt himself oddly drained. He was tired of feeling angry, of feeling incompetent. It was like last night had drained all of them and they were all back on neutral ground.

Piper gave him a small smile as she sheathed her knife and poured water over the fire. The tips of her hair were singed from the fire, though they were still braided and had obviously been slept in that way. Jason smiled back at Piper, though in the back of his mind, a single question popped up. He pushed the thought away as he walked closer to Piper.

She looked at him expectantly and Jason enveloped her in a hug. "I missed you," he whispered in her ear. He could smell the smoke in her hair—whether from the forest fire or the campfire, he wasn't sure—and for a brief moment, Jason let himself relax.

He didn't see Piper's look of disappointment as he walked away to the nearby stream to wash his face and get himself cleaned up. As he passed Percy and Annabeth, he paused. Percy looked calmer than Jason had ever seen him (not that he'd seen him much) and Annabeth's arms were wrapped around him gently, in an almost comforting manner. He wasn't jealous...no, that wasn't the way he would describe it. Jason didn't want to be Percy. Not right now—not broken. But the two were still asleep, obviously exhausted, and they looked...relaxed. Okay with each other. That was what Jason wanted.

Ever since Reyna and Piper had arrived, tension had seeped into everything. This morning...it was quite. Calm. No jealousy, no fire. No demigods yelling at each other, no splitting up, no hopeless searches across the country for people who had been missing for a year. It was only the morning after the forest fire, but the birds had returned and Jason felt...okay. Just okay.

He splashed water on his face. An innate, Roman instinct told him that okay wasn't alright. Fighting, glory, honor...that was what was real. What was good. But today, Jason pushed those instincts aside. All he wanted was to be okay. He wasn't at Camp Jupiter. The gods were virtually silent. Today...it was okay to be okay.

When he returned, Reyna and Piper were sitting at the campfire, not talking. Jason awkwardly scooted around them. Already, it seemed, okay was breaking up. Perhaps he should've stayed at the river longer.

"Morning," Jason said. He looked from one girl to the other, hoping one would respond.

"Hey," Piper said at the same moment that Reyna nodded, "Morning." The two glanced at each other before returning to looking at the smoldering remains of the fire.

"We're going to need food," Reyna announced as Jason situated himself across from Reyna and Piper. "I've still got some bread and water, but it's only going to be enough for this meal. Percy—if he's alright—might be able to help obtain some seafood but otherwise we're on our own."

Jason already felt a headache returning. He was seriously regretting not staying at the river for a longer period of time. "I think we shouldn't trouble Percy. He doesn't remember anything...and amnesia sucks." That was the simplest way Jason could put it.

Reyna nodded while Piper gazed sullenly at the ashes. "Well here." Reyna thrust her pack forwards. "You guys can eat this...I'll go check on Leo." With that, she stood up and left Piper and Jason to stare at the ashes.

Jason broke off some of the bread before handing it to Piper. "You okay?" he asked.

Piper laughed a little sadistically. "Oh, yes, I'm fine," she said sarcastically.

Jason frowned. "Pipes-"

"Just...just don't." She shook her head. "I'm just in a bad mood. I'm sorry."

Piper moved to stand up. "I'll go find Percy and Annabeth," she said in a falsely cheerful tone. "Maybe Percy's memories have come back already." She smiled, almost as if she believed it.

Jason wanted to believe it as well, though he knew that almost certainly wasn't the case. Memories didn't come back that easily...even now, Jason struggled to remember the details of his life at Camp Jupiter. And Percy...he looked battered to the point where he'd rather be dead than alive. Still, Jason nodded. All he wanted were for things to be okay.

Unfortunately, that wasn't going to be the case.

* * *

"Annabeth, wake up."

Annabeth looked up to see Percy next to her, raising an eyebrow and grinning (though he was desperately trying not to). They were in the Athena cabin and everyone else was gone—they must've already gone to breakfast. Had she slept through her alarm? "It's late," he said, extending a hand to her. "C'mon, Wise Girl. Stop being such a sleepyhead."

"Oh, shut up," Annabeth grabbed his hand before pulling him down onto her bed as she stood up, laughing. "You shouldn't be in here."

"Nah," Percy said breezily, looking a little too at ease on her mattress. "But when do I pay attention to rules? Annabeth...wake up." He cocked his head at her, daring her to challenge him.

Annabeth laughed. "Cute. I _am_ awake."

Percy smiled. "Annabeth...wake up."

Annabeth looked at him for a moment, confused. "But I am awake."

"Annabeth, wake up."

The cabin jerked and Annabeth sat up. Piper was leaning over her, looking slightly concerned. Annabeth couldn't help feeling a little miffed that she'd been woken up...though judging by the sunlight, it was pretty late.

"You alright?" Piper asked as she helped Annabeth up. Annabeth nodded, not wanting to elaborate.

Blinking, Annabeth took in her surroundings, reality flooding back. She was in the middle of the woods on a seemingly impossible quest. There'd been a forest fire and they'd almost died, if it hadn't been for Percy...who'd forgotten her...who...

"Percy." Annabeth's voice sounded unnaturally choked and hoarse as she said his name. "Where is he?" Her words were tinged with worry. "Where'd he go?"

"Don't worry, Annabeth," Piper soothed. "I woke him up before you and he went to the river to get washed. He looked a bit battered after everything yesterday."

"Oh." Disappointment laced Annabeth's words. The real Percy—the old Percy—would've woken her up, just like in the dream. Now the real Percy was the one who didn't know her name or her face and didn't care.

"Do you want to go find him?" Piper offered. "I should've made him stay...but it took a while to wake you..."

"No, it's fine." The words slipped out of Annabeth's mouth too quickly, so quickly that she wished she could take them back. "He's probably fine. He knows how to wash his face."

Piper nodded, looking a little uncertain. Annabeth wondered if she was acting a little crazy. She wouldn't be surprised.

When they arrived back at the campfire, Annabeth stayed standing. Piper shot her a curious look and Annabeth shrugged. She didn't want to talk about anything. Leaning against a pine, Annabeth tapped her foot on the ground anxiously.

The three demigods around the campfire were silent. Finally, Annabeth spoke up. "Where's Reyna?"

"Went to wake Leo up."

That was the end of that. Annabeth glanced back towards the river. Where was Percy?

Finally, a few minutes later, there was a rustling behind Annabeth and Percy appeared. In the sunlight, Annabeth got a good look at the man who had once been her boyfriend.

A scar ran down his face, pale white. Healed, but never gone. An image of Luke flashed in Annabeth's mind and she blinked, unwilling to comprehend the person who stood in front of her. Gashes ran down his arms and he was so thin...

"Hey," Percy called. A smile appeared on his face, but it wasn't the smile that Annabeth had grown so accustomed to. It seemed almost forced and Annabeth had the feeling that it could disappear at a second's notice.

Percy seemed fairly relaxed compared to how he jerked in her arms last night. His green eyes looked exactly the same as before, though the sparkle and glint in them seemed to have faded. Just another thing that had changed between the two of them.

Percy turned towards her, and for a moment, Annabeth could trick herself into believing that he was still the Percy Jackson she had had by her side for so many years. The goofy boy who hadn't seen a problem in going on the Thrilling Ride of Love. The teenager who had almost stepped on her toes three times while they danced. The idiotic Seaweed Brain who wouldn't freaking make a move until they ended up tossed in a lake by their friends.

Indeed, she could've been able to pretend things were normal if it hadn't been for...

"Annabeth, right?"

He smiled at her, but his eyes showed no recognition. To him, they had only just met. To her, it was like a lifetime had faded away.

A rustling from across the clearing shook Annabeth out of her shock and she nodded before turning towards the sound. Reyna pushed the branches aside, an oddly worried look creasing the Roman's face.

"It's Leo," she announced. "He's gone."

* * *

"_He's gone."_

Part of Jason was angry. Angry at Leo for taking off again when they needed him.

But a bigger portion of Jason felt guilty. Leo...no matter how much had happened over the past several months, was his friend. Jason knew that he was partially responsible for Leo's disappearance.

They'd scoured the city but were unable to find where Leo was. No one had seen him since last night and Annabeth reasoned that he had left. With a whole night's headstart and no clues as to which direction he went, she had argued, there wasn't much chance they could find him.

In the past few months, Jason had grown father apart from Leo. Preoccupied with searching for Piper and trying to keep his friends alive, Jason had forgotten about the one friend who'd stood beside him ever since everything began. Now, Jason had realized too late that he'd taken his mechanic friend for granted.

"I'm on Annabeth's side," Reyna spoke up. Jason's head jerked up as he watched the drama unfold before him. "We need to go find Frank and Hazel. Leo has left twice now—we can't waste anymore time on this."

"No!" Piper objected, standing up angrily. Her dark hair whipped around her face, making her look both defiant and pretty at the same time. "Leo's my friend..._our_ friend! How can you suggest we leave him behind? I thought that both Greeks and Romans were loyal, loyal to their allies, loyal to their friends."

Piper literally radiated with power and Jason could tell that despite her efforts, her charmspeak was leaking through. Jason saw doubt appearing in Reyna's eyes. Jason even found himself nodding. He wouldn't want the others to leave him behind if he were in Leo's shoes.

Reyna raised her head and her clouded eyes turned hard again. "We need to think of the bigger picture," she said icily. "We can't just focus on Leo."

Annabeth looked a little uncertain and Jason saw her glance at Percy. The son of Poseidon's eyebrows were furrowed. Was he being influenced by the charmspeak or did he really agree with Piper's point of view?

"Reyna, I thi—" Annabeth began.

"Piper's right." Annabeth turned, shocked as she looked at Percy, who'd spoken up. "He's your friend, isn't he? You can't just abandon your friends. I mean...no one wants people to leave while they still might be around."

Jason watched as Annabeth stared at Percy like he'd jumped out of boiling lava with a fish head. There was doubt in her eyes, mixed with worry...and something else. Nostalgia?

He didn't have long to ponder. Annabeth cleared her throat. "At any rate, if we want to find Leo, we need to stop sitting around here. Let's keep heading towards our destination. If Leo is trying to get away from everyone, he's not going to head backwards, only forwards. That's our best course of action at this point." She seemed ready to get out of there.

"Alright," Percy nodded, standing up. "Do you guys have any transportation-?"

"Yes! Yes..." Annabeth's reply came too quickly. Her voice was crisp and higher than usual. "Don't worry, I'll go get them."

"Are you sure?" Percy looked at her oddly. "I could-"

"No, it's fine." Annabeth brushed off a smile before leaving a slightly bewildered Percy rather hastily.

Jason looked at Piper, who shrugged before moving to go after her friend.

* * *

In the end, they left.

Piper felt terrible about it. She mainly blamed Reyna for them. Annabeth was her friend, so she didn't want to blame her, plus Annabeth hadn't really known Leo. Granted, neither had Reyna, but still. Piper needed someone to blame.

What really bothered her was Jason. He hadn't suggested they leave Leo behind...but he hadn't said a single word in his friend's defense. It angered her more than she cared to say.

It was a side of Jason Piper felt like she'd never seen before. The Jason she knew cared about his friends. Maybe it was just because Reyna was there, maybe it was because things had changed while she was gone, but he seemed so much more distant. More Roman. Only caring about the fight, the greater good and ignoring one's feelings, emotions, and aiming for the bigger picture.

Piper could see sense in that...but to completely abandon their friend...

Percy and Annabeth shared a pegasus. The pegasi had somehow survived the fire unscathed and as Piper hugged her pegasus, she felt uncomfortable. The winged horse only reminded her more of Leo. Leo hadn't bothered to take his pegasus with him, meaning that Reyna and Jason each got their own winged horse. It was a tiny triumph and Piper felt guilty about it, but she couldn't help herself.

Leo had changed. Piper hadn't really noticed it—they'd been a little preoccupied after all—but he wasn't himself. The Leo Piper knew was a jokester. He pulled pranks, he laughed and bounced around, in some ways, he was more like a Hermes kid than Hephaestus' son. Piper stared at the sun which was inching towards the horizon. Sunset wasn't due for almost half an hour, but the tips of the sky were already turning pink.

She felt terrible. She'd abandoned her friend in his time of need. Like Percy said, if the roles were reversed, she would want them to search for her.

Instead, they were flying away.

"You said what?"

Annabeth had been talking to Reyna and Piper looked back at the two of them, strands of hair whipping her in the face, stinging her cheeks. Annabeth's eyes were sharp and looked almost dangerous. This was why Piper would never think of challenging the daughter of Athena.

Percy looked at Annabeth, frowning. Piper wondered briefly what it was like to be Percy, to be so lost. He hadn't really said anything about what had happened under the sea and Piper figured Annabeth was too shaken by his appearance and memory loss to ask.

"The giants are planning on setting off for Greece from Florida," Reyna repeated.

Piper's eyes widened. "And you didn't bother to tell us about this?" she spluttered. "We could've saved half a day of travel!"

Reyna's eyes narrowed. "Look, McLean," she said, her tone cold, "I'm not part of your little quest. None of you cared to share the exact wording of the quest with me. For all I knew, you received specific directions from the gods to go this way. Your quest was obviously not to fight the giants, but to find your missing demigods. Plus, in case you didn't notice, we haven't exactly had much time for discussion."

Piper opened her mouth to retort, but Annabeth cut her off. "Whoa," she said to her pegasus. The others followed suit. "We need to go to Florida."

Percy blinked. "Florida..." he murmured. Annabeth looked back at him, an odd look in her eye.

"That's probably best," Jason nodded. "We're still missing Hazel and Frank and...well, Leo..." he hesitated. Piper wondered if he was regretting not standing up for his friend. "Florida's our best shot."

Percy nodded. "Yeah, so..." His eyes widened. "Piper!" Already, his hand was reaching for his pocket...for a pen?

An intense roar sounded from behind her and Piper's eardrums nearly burst from the sound. She ripped out her knife, but before she had the chance to use it, an intense pain erupted along her right side. Her shirt was torn apart and bloody claw marks marred her exposed skin. Piper resisted the urge to cry out.

"Pipes!" Jason yelled. His pegasi made towards her, but before he managed to get there, there was a dropping sensation in Piper's stomach.

As her pegasus spiraled towards the ground, Piper opened her mouth, a scream forcing its way out of her chest.

* * *

His curly hair was matted. It hadn't looked much better earlier, but it was looking even worse after a day of travel.

When Leo had left camp, he had had no idea or sense of where he was heading. He still really didn't know. All he wanted to do was get away.

Now that he thought about it, it was probably a stupid idea. He had no food and he'd only managed to drink a little water earlier this morning.

_Idiot._

"Shut up," Leo muttered to himself. He couldn't help glancing around to see if anyone was around. No one, not even a cricket. Disappointment flashed through him, combined with relief. No one would hear him talk to himself like a crazy person.

_Crazy person. Yup._

_Is that me talking or my conscience talking or someone else talking?_ Leo's head hurt from the thought. It was like his brain was splitting in two. He grimaced and pulled a few random bits of metal out of his tool belt, tinkering with them. No matter what he tried, the pieces just wouldn't work together. If he had a forge and some time, maybe they would've fit together, but...

Leo let the scraps of metal fall to the ground with a clink. He'd never really understood people, not even himself, but now it felt like he'd lost the one bit of himself that he'd always been able to understand.

To Leo's surprise, he found his fists clenched. Leo stared at them for a moment before loosening them. He felt a dull pang inside. He really was better with machinery. He didn't even know what he was feeling...not really.

"Leo."

"Shut up!" Leo snapped, smacking himself in the head with his palm. He gripped a fistful of his curly black hair. He really was going crazy.

"Leo...stop hitting yourself." Leo looked up in surprise. The voice was soft and gentle, and very familiar. Leo blinked before turning around.

"Hemera." The goddess stood before him, smiling slightly, her white robes settling slowly around her and rippling as if carried by an unfelt breeze. Leo suddenly felt conscious of himself.

"What's wrong?" Hemera asked. Her eyes held Leo's gaze steadily. For a moment, Leo wondered if goddesses blinked or not. "Where are your friends?"

"I...I, uh, left them." The words seemed to come out of Leo's mouth without his consent, leaving him with a bitter taste in his mouth. It was relieving to admit the truth to someone, yet at the same time, it only doubled the guilt.

Hemera nodded sympathetically. "Your friends do not understand." Hemera looked up at the sky, sighing. "I am the goddess of daylight, born from my mother Nyx. I was separated from her at birth, fated to only see her at sundown and sunrise. I am alone. So are you."

Yeah, he was. The realization hit Leo with a dull pang. Alone. Alone amongst friends...and alone now. Was that something you could inherit? Loneliness? Leo thought back to Hephaestus, his father, and how alone he had seemed in the forge. Leo didn't want that but...was it inevitable?

A spark of flame appeared before him and Leo jumped back in surprise. Hemera stood right before him, her palm stretched out. A beautiful little flame danced between her thin fingers and she held it before him.

"You don't need to be alone, Leo," Hemera chided. "You can be so much more. I know that the battles have changed you...but you've blocked yourself off. You need to stop."

Leo cringed. To be rebuked by a goddess—especially a kind one, like Hemera—made him feel worse inside. Still, he squared up his shoulders. Even he could tell that Hemera was offering to help...and he wasn't going to pass up a chance like this by.

"How?"

* * *

Author's Note:

It's short...sorry about that. I promise the next chapter will be longer and more detailed.

Please review!

I'd like to thank Darkmiror for her elaborate and detailed beta-ing of my story and I hope to see you all soon!


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